July 2, 2021 | BY AAGD STAFF
Thursday’s first round of the 2021 Rocket Mortgage Classic was suspended due to darkness at 9:02 p.m. Twenty-seven (27) players have yet to complete the first round – which was initially suspended at 12:15 p.m., due to inclement weather, before resuming at 3:30 p.m. (three-hour, 15-minute delay) – and those players will be in position to resume play at 7:15 a.m.
Second-round play will begin as originally scheduled at 6:45 a.m. Round 2 pairings are HERE.
5 African Americans Teeing Off at RMC
In case you haven’t noticed, five African American players are competing in the tournament: Willie Mack III, Cameron Champ, Joseph Bramlett, Hard Varner III and Timothy O’Neal. This is a rarity on the PGA Tour and reminiscent of the days of the UGA (United Golfers Association) in the 70s-80s when Black players like Chuck Thorpe, Jim Thorpe, James Black, Jim Dent, George Johnson and Pete Brown and Charlie Sifford could be seen on the greens competing in the same tournament. “That has to be a record for starts,” said James Beatty, Executive Editor of this publication.
“We had a lot of Black players back in the day, and I used to follow those guys around,” said John Love, a well-known tournament director in Charlotte, NC. “Charlotte was loaded with golfers who could really play.”
Tee times at Rocket Mortgage Classic for these players is:
| 2021 RMC | Player | Time | Hole |
 | Harold Varner III | 6:45 am | #1 |
 | Cameron Champ | 7:55 am | #10 |
 | Joseph Bramlett | 8:25 am | #1 |
 | Willie Mack III | 8:35 am | #1 |
 | Timothy O’Neal | 8:45 am | #1 |
The Rocket Mortgage Classic’s clubhouse leader is Davis Thompson (9-under-63), a sponsor exemption who tied the tournament’s 18-hole scoring record while making his third professional start on the PGA TOUR.
