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Rocket Mortgage champ Cam Davis explains why he passed on Open berth

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Cam Davis is looking forward to a break next week – even if it means missing out on the year’s final major.

Davis has had a whirlwind few days since winning in a playoff at the Rocket Mortgage Classic on Sunday. After downing a burger and milkshake from the local Five Guys in Detroit at 11 p.m. – it was the only place open on Fourth of July – Davis stayed up late to watch the re-air of the final round, when he holed a bunker shot on the 71st hole, birdied the last and then prevailed in a five-hole playoff over Troy Merritt at Detroit Golf Club.

“I was so excited I tried to ride the wave as much as I could,” he said.

Ah, but that wave soon subsided.

Davis’ flight Monday was canceled, so he wound up making the drive from Detroit to Silvis, Illinois, a roughly seven-hour journey at the tail end of what was already a long week. After the unexpected road trip, Davis took it easy Tuesday, playing only nine holes, as he geared up to play again at the John Deere.


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By the time he teed it up Thursday morning, he said, “I started to feel back to normal.”

He played like it, too, signing for a 4-under 67 after a bogey on the last.

Of course, this could have been an even longer stretch for the 26-year-old Australian. Davis was set to play in The Open after Kevin Na decided to give up his spot because of the international travel restrictions, but Davis also took a pass as the first alternate.

The reason?

After getting married last fall and applying for a green card, he’s not allowed to travel outside the U.S. for the next six months while his paperwork gets processed.

“I’m looking forward to seeing my family and celebrating back in Seattle next week and recharging a little bit because this week is already a bit of a grind to get through,” he said. “I’m pretty tired. It’ll be nice to relax.”

Davis will also have a busier next month than he anticipated. With only a few regular-season events remaining, the victory vaulted him inside the top 35 in the FedExCup standings, guaranteeing that he’ll play at least two playoff events, and possibly three, if he can crack the top 30 and advance to the Tour Championship. He’s trending in the right direction after his opening round at TPC Deere Run.

“I had no expectations for today, really,” he said. “I wasn’t sure if I was going to keep playing well or if there was going to be a bit of a lull after all that, but I’m very happy to keep it going.”