Bryson DeChambeau set to play Rocket Mortgage Classic for first time

Detroit — The Mechanical Man, Bryson DeChambeau, will bring his deliberate play and his old-school wardrobe to Detroit for the PGA Tour's second annual Rocket Mortgage Classic.

DeChambeau, a five-time PGA Tour winner and the No. 16-ranked golfer in the world, headlines the latest list of early commitments, announced by tournament officials Wednesday afternoon.

DeChambeau will be a Detroit Golf Club rookie, opting last year to play in the PGA Tour's other new event for 2019, the 3M Open in suburban Minneapolis.

Other commitments announced Wednesday: defending champion Nate Lashley, 45th-ranked Brandt Snedeker, young gun Viktor Hovland and Harold Varner III.

Those four played in the inaugural Rocket Mortgage Classic, with Lashley demolishing the field for his first PGA Tour victory, Snedeker finishing tied for fifth, Hovland tied for 13th and Varner missing the cut.

"Our field continues to grow by the day, as more and more of the world's top players sign on to compete in the Rocket Mortgage Classic," said Jason Langwell, tournament director.

"Word continues to spread that Detroit's major is a must-play event on the PGA Tour."

More: Rocket Mortgage Classic could be one of Phil Mickelson's last shots to make U.S. Open

Said Jay Farner, Quicken Loans CEO: "Players have been raving about the tournament from the minute the last putt dropped, and that buzz has spread."

Previously announced commitments included Phil Mickelson, still the game's second-biggest draw at age 49, as well as Rickie Fowler and Bubba Watson. It'll be Mickelson's first trip to the RMC.

Fowler is the tournament's unofficial host as a pitchman for Rocket Mortgage and Quicken Loans.

Last year, Fowler finished tied for 46th and Watson missed the cut.

Among the new entries, DeChambeau is the most intriguing, as one of the top players on the PGA Tour, if not one of the more frustrating ones. Pace of play has become a hot-button issue in golf, and DeChambeau is considered the game's worst offender, with fellow golfers not holding back on their criticism of him.

Snedeker is a nine-time PGA Tour winner, while Varner and Hovland still are looking for their first PGA Tour victories. Hovland, a rookie last year who played the RMC on a sponsor's exemption, recently teamed with former Tiger Justin Verlander in the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, and they finished in the top five.

Lashley always was returning, and expects to as long as he's welcome, following his breakthough victory at Detroit Golf Club last year.

"I mean, it's gonna be great. I'm looking forward to it," Lashley told The Detroit News recently about his return to the Motor City. "All these tournaments that I'm looking forward to playing, coming back to the Rocket Mortgage Classic is right at the top of my list.

"To be introduced as a defending champion, that's going to be a thrill.

"It's something I'm going to remember for the rest of my life."

The tournament is May 28-31, with tickets on sale at RocketMortgageClassic.com.

Rocket Mortgage Classic

When: May 28-31

Where: Detroit Golf Club

Defending champion: Nate Lashley

Tickets: Available at RocketMortgageClassic.com. Daily grounds tickets, $15-60; weekly grounds pass, $180; juniors 15 and younger, free.

tpaul@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @tonypaul1984