Local legends, WWE superstar headline celebrity golf scramble

NFL Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson high-fives professional golfer Jason Day after Johnson drilled a 30-foot putt on the group’s final hole at last year’s event.

METRO DETROIT — What a summer for sports in the city of Detroit.

Detroit Tigers baseball is competitive once again, and there’s legitimate excitement and expectations heading into the upcoming Detroit Lions season, but the Professional Golf Association’s Rocket Mortgage Classic continues to be the topic of conversation.

As the tournament makes its return to the Detroit Golf Club on June 27, the field has already drawn commitments from two-time major champion Collin Morikawa and RMC defending champion Tony Finau, but there’s no card more stacked than this year’s AREA 313 Celebrity Scramble commitments.

Detroit Lions Hall of Famers Barry Sanders and Calvin Johnson will return to compete in the event, alongside Dylan Larkin of the Detroit Red Wings and Michigan State basketball head coach Tom Izzo, the scramble’s defending champion. But the RMC welcomes two newcomers who will undoubtedly make their presence known.

Former Michigan Wolverines star and NBA Hall of Famer Chris Webber, a Detroit native and phenom at Detroit Country Day from 1991-1993, will round out the Michigan sports connection, while WWE Superstar “The Miz” will make his course debut at the RMC.

The Miz, a two-time WWE Champion, previously starred on the popular MTV show “The Real World: Back to New York” before beginning his wrestling career in 2003.

“We’re looking forward to introducing a new twist to the AREA 313 Celebrity Scramble by adding Chris Webber and The Miz to our field,” said Jason Langwell, executive director of the Rocket Mortgage Classic. “It’s always fun to see Detroit sports legends up close and personal testing their golf games alongside PGA Tour pros, and having a professional wrestler in the mix this year will make it even more entertaining.”

Awarded the PGA Tour’s “Best Special Event” after debuting in 2019, the AREA 313 Celebrity Scramble will be held at 5 p.m. June 27 as part of the RMCs Detroit Community Days, which focuses on intertwining the Detroit community with professional golf.

The First Tee - Greater Detroit Youth Clinic will be held at 2 p.m. on June 27 and will showcase PGA professionals and celebrity guests working with children of elementary and middle school age on golf fundamentals and skills challenges.

Detroit Community Days will conclude on June 28 with the Delta Dental Pro-Am where attendees can watch PGA golfers in an up-close setting throughout the day.

All Detroit Community Days events are provided with complimentary parking and admission.

“We are proud to be able to offer fans complimentary admission to all the amazing events on Detroit Community Days as part of our dedication to making the Rocket Mortgage Classic accessible to everyone in our communities,” Langwell said.