At the Detroit Golf Club, 20-year-old Aldrich Potgieter made history on Sunday, winning his first PGA Tour title in dramatic fashion. He sank an 18-foot birdie on the fifth playoff hole, edging out Max Greyserman and veteran Chris Kirk to claim the Rocket Classic in a stunning upset.
This victory wasn’t just a win–it was a statement. Potgieter, who opened the tournament with a course-record 10-under 62, was locked in as both the 18- and 54-hole leader. At 22-under-par, he matched his competitors, forcing a playoff that stretched through tense twists and turns before Potgieter delivered the decisive blow.
From Record to Playoff
On Thursday, Potgieter set the tone with a scorching 62–an incredible 10-under round that briefly held the course record. Though Jake Knapp bested that mark later with an 11-under 61, Potgieter’s performance put everyone on notice. He followed that up with steady work over the weekend, posting rounds of 70 and 65, and ultimately playing his way into a three-man playoff at 22 under alongside Greyserman and Kirk.
In the final round, Potgieter and his caddie, Rance De Grussa, had to dig mentally as the pressure mounted. When Kirk and Greyserman surged, Potgieter cruised with clutch birdies on holes 7-8 and 13-14, erasing deficits and proving he belonged in the showdown.
“Definitely a tough day,” Potgieter said afterward. “The start didn’t go my way, I struggled to make putts, left a lot short. Finally got one to the hole, and I just saw the ball roll end over end and I knew it was going to go in.”
The playoff was a test of endurance and nerve. Kirk was eliminated on the second hole after a crucial bogey. Greyserman hung tough until the fifth hole, when Potgieter, already a pattern breaker, calmly sank the turf‑rattling 18-footer to seal victory. It was a defining moment, calling back to his amateur glory but magnified on the grandest of stages.
Who Is Aldrich Potgieter?
Born September 13, 2004, in Pretoria, South Africa, Potgieter was introduced to golf early at the Louis Oosthuizen Junior Golf Academy and later sharpened his talent through a mix of international experience. His family moved to Perth, Australia, when he was eight, where he grew up playing full rounds by age twelve and earning his first amateur victories.
By 2022, he had claimed the Western Australian Amateur and famously became the second-youngest winner in the 127-year history of The Amateur Championship at Royal Lytham & St Annes. His standout junior career included titles like the 2020 South Australian Junior Masters and 2021 Western Australian Amateur, building a resume that led to a spot on the 2023 PGA Tour and success on the Korn Ferry Tour as its youngest-ever winner at 19 years and 133 days.
In a poetic twist, Potgieter’s first PGA Tour start came at the Rocket Classic in Detroit in June 2023. That week, he missed the cut (posting 73-73) and finished tied for 132nd place.
Two years later, he returned to the same tournament and claimed his first PGA Tour victory on the very turf where his pro journey began. It’s a full-circle story that speaks volumes about how quickly he’s grown, and how determined he’s been to leave his mark.
Rookie with Record-Breaking Potential
At just 20, Potgieter cemented himself as the youngest South African to win on the PGA Tour and one of the only international winners under age 21 alongside icons like Tom Kim and Rory McIlroy. His clutch play, mental toughness, and flashy performance reflect a prodigy making good.
“We had to give up a lot, moving to Australia, moving back,” he said. “Emigrating is definitely not the easiest thing. Coming alone at the start of my career to the States and giving it a grind, and having my dad here has helped so much.”
Potgieter solidifies full PGA Tour status for the next two seasons, rises to No. 36 in the FedEx Cup standings, and clinches invites to the 2026 Masters and PGA Championship. With potential access to all eight signature events if he finishes inside the top 50, this win redraws his competitive map.
“I’m just happy to walk away as a winner,” he said.
His fragility-tested triumph at the Rocket Classic is one for the ages. He combined massive distance (averaging 326+ yards off the tee), smart shot-making, and steely nerve to outlast big names and veterans alike.
Potgieter goes home with a little over $1.7 million from the $9.6 million purse.
Inside Potgieter’s Winning Bag
While the final putt will live in highlights, Potgieter’s win was equally a story of precision gear choices and elite performance. Throughout the Rocket Classic, he wielded a Titleist GT2 driver set at 9 degrees, paired with a Fujikura Ventus Black 8X shaft.
The combination delivered booming drives, helping Potgieter average over 337 yards off the tee, a stat that kept him ahead of the pack and gave him repeated birdie looks on Detroit’s scorable layout.
His iron setup included a custom blend of Titleist’s newest 2025 models, using T100, T150, and T250 irons that provided exceptional control and distance consistency. This versatile mix proved crucial, allowing him to attack pins while ranking third in greens in regulation for the week.
Around the greens, Potgieter relied on a suite of Titleist Vokey SM10 wedges–carrying 46, 50, and 54 degrees–and rounding out his short-game arsenal with a WedgeWorks 60-degree wedge for delicate flop shots and precise bunker escapes.
On the greens, he wielded a prototype Scotty Cameron 009M blade putter, which Potgieter credited for his steady performance under pressure, particularly noting he avoided three-putting throughout the tournament. Completing his setup was a prototype Titleist Pro V1x+ ball, built for high speed and consistency–a fitting match for Potgieter’s aggressive, yet controlled style of play.
“We needed some more spin to keep the ball in the air a little bit,” Potgieter said. “You wouldn’t have thought that with the driving distance to add more spin, but it kind of keeps the ball in the air a little bit longer.”
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