The PGA Tour’s cut line can be unforgiving, regardless of a player’s recent form, world ranking, or championship pedigree. That reality was on full display Friday at the 2026 Rocket Classic, where the cut line settled at 3-under par, sending several high-profile names saw their tournaments end after just 36 holes.
Among the biggest surprises was Wyndham Clark, whose recent stretch of elite golf suggested another weekend contention was likely.
Instead, the two-time PGA Tour winner couldn’t recover from a difficult second round at Detroit Golf Club, extending an unusual run of early exits just weeks before the FedExCup Playoffs begin.
Wyndham Clark’s Momentum Takes a Temporary Hit
Clark entered the Rocket Classic as one of the hottest players on Tour this summer despite an early departure at The Open Championship.
His 2026 campaign has featured victories at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson and the U.S. Open, along with a remarkable string of top-15 finishes that has kept him comfortably inside the FedExCup’s top 10.
After opening with a 1-under 71 on Thursday, Clark needed another steady round on Friday to secure a weekend tee time. He briefly appeared on track after recovering from an opening-hole bogey with two birdies over his next five holes. An even-par front nine kept him in the mix, but his tournament unraveled on the inward half.
Consecutive bogeys at the 11th and 12th holes immediately put pressure on the former U.S. Open champion. The decisive blow came at the par-4 14th, where an errant approach into the native area eventually resulted in a lost ball and double bogey.
Clark ultimately signed for a 74, leaving him outside the 3-under cut line and marking his second straight missed cut on the PGA Tour.
The tournament carried added significance for Clark, as his girlfriend’s family and friends were in attendance to watch him compete in person for the first time.
“I mean, I’ve always enjoyed coming here,” Clark said. “Now, I have a little more of a family relationship here. My girlfriend’s from this area, so that makes it really fun.
“Kind of a home week, it feels like.”
Several Notable Names Fall Short While Koivun Survives
Clark wasn’t the only high-profile player heading home early after Friday’s second round. Ben Griffin and Jake Knapp each missed the cut by a single shot, while Akshay Bhatia also came up short after finishing the opening 36 holes at 1-under par.
According to PGA Tour, Chris Gotterup’s exit was among the biggest surprises of the week. The three-time PGA Tour winner had been one of the Tour’s steadiest players in recent months, making every cut since February while adding another win at the John Deere Classic before posting strong finishes at both the Genesis Scottish Open and The Open Championship.
Defending champion Aldrich Potgieter also failed to reach the weekend after digging himself too deep a hole with an opening-round 76. The South African rebounded impressively with a 3-under 67 on Friday, but the recovery wasn’t enough to erase Thursday’s struggles.
One year after becoming the Rocket Classic’s youngest champion at age 20, his title defense ended after just two rounds.
Not everyone on the bubble went home, however. Fresh off his breakthrough victory at last week’s 3M Open, Jackson Koivun delivered when he needed it most.
The rising star carded a second-round 67, highlighted by four birdies during an eight-hole stretch, to make the cut by a single stroke and extend the momentum from his first PGA Tour win into another weekend.
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