Some partnerships become far more than business. For Rocket Classic Tournament Director Mark Hollis, the event in Detroit became deeply personal over thirteen unforgettable years. But on Sunday, as the final edition of the tournament came to a close at Detroit Golf Club, so did that journey. Speaking to Brad Galli beside the 18th green, an emotional Hollis struggled to hold back tears as the reality of the moment sank in. 

“Let’s not get too sentimental because I will start crying. It’s a lot of work over the eight years. Got to work with my son,” Hollis said before choking up. “Look at all these people [who] put so much into something that’s so important. It’s the city, the people that live here… Today, it’s a time to celebrate… everything that… Dan Gilbert wants for this city. And we delivered. We delivered at the highest level this year. Our team was incredible from top to bottom.”

Rocket Mortgage, formerly Quicken Loans, Chairman Dan Gilbert has long had a deep love for Detroit. In 2010, he even moved Quicken Loans’ headquarters downtown. It was no secret that he wanted to bring a major professional golf tournament within the city’s limits. Quicken Loans first entered the PGA Tour as a title sponsor in 2014 with the Quicken Loans National, held at Congressional Country Club in suburban Washington, D.C.

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In 2018, however, Quicken Loans ended its sponsorship of that event to launch a brand-new PGA Tour stop in Detroit—the Rocket Mortgage Classic at Detroit Golf Club—while also rebranding as Rocket Mortgage. When 2026 arrived, the company had the opportunity to extend its partnership with the PGA Tour through 2027, but chose not to, officially declining the extension last month.

In a statement to The Detroit News, Hollis said the company’s mission in launching the tournament was to “shine a national spotlight on Detroit,” adding that they had successfully “accomplished” that goal. However, several other unconfirmed factors may have also influenced the decision, including changes to the PGA Tour schedule, weaker fields, declining attendance, and more.

Now, with the Rocket Classic’s departure, the PGA Tour has replaced it on the schedule with a tournament sponsored by Japanese insurer Sompo. The yet-to-be-named tournament, however, will not happen in Detroit. As the Rocket Classic partnership came to an end, Tournament Director Mark Hollis had a direct message for PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp.

“Detroit deserves a PGA Tour event,” he added. “And I don’t know what’s going to happen. I don’t know where the tour is going… But we’ve got to work our hardest to make sure that we bring a PGA Tour event back to Detroit, and it ought to be right here on this course… I think there’s always hope… If there’s anything that I could instill [in] Brian Rolapp and the entire tour, … focus in that direction…”

The good news is, when the news broke about Rocket Classic’s final event in June, the PGA Tour didn’t abandon the possibility of hosting a different event in Detroit. The American tour claimed that they “remain interested in the Detroit market” as they continue to explore new sponsors. Rickie Fowler, who has played every Rocket Classic event, supported that idea. 

“I’d love to have an event back here at some point,” Fowler said. “Never say never.”

But with Rocket Classic’s exit, only time will tell whether that actually happens.