Cam Davis finds redemption with Rocket Mortgage Classic victory

Golf is often described as a lonely and challenging pursuit, and even seasoned PGA TOUR winners sometimes need a little help. For Cam Davis, that help came in the form of a hypnotherapist, which led him to victory at the Rocket Mortgage Classic.

Davis revealed that he had been struggling mentally for about six months, despite playing solid golf. After a tie for 12th at the Masters, he felt his game had deserted him. Seeking a change, he began working with a hypnotherapist, which he credits for his recent turnaround.

“(I wanted) something that I was actually going to stick to because I'm definitely someone that will start doing something and if it doesn't feel like it's helping straight away, it's very easy to drop it," Davis said. "Sticking with the work that I'm doing […] has made a very big impact very quickly. I felt a lot better last week even though the score didn't show it, and to have it turn into this this week is hard to believe really because I was not in a good place two or three weeks ago.”

Davis started his final round at Detroit Golf Club with a bogey but rebounded with three birdies over his next six holes. Despite another bogey on the par-5 14th, he managed to birdie the 17th and saved par on the 18th to finish at 18 under.

While Davis waited, Akshay Bhatia, who had not missed a putt inside six feet all week, pulled his par-saver on the 72nd hole just right, resulting in his second bogey of the week and leaving him one shot behind Davis in a four-way tie for second.

“I wouldn't wish what happened to Akshay on anyone, but I've done a lot of grinding to kind of get myself out of a hole, and just all of a sudden to do that, it's pretty good,” Davis said on the 18th green, with emotion evident in his voice.

“When Akshay missed that putt, it's a combination of shock and feeling bad for him, but at the same time just realizing that the huge burden of trying to win again is off the shoulders.”

This win marked Davis' first top-10 finish of the season and his best result since the Masters. Despite a challenging year, where he ranked 159th in Strokes Gained: Total, Davis found his form at Detroit Golf Club, where he felt comfortable with the course's old-school Donald Ross design.

Davis, who was part of Trevor Immelman's International Team at the 2022 Presidents Cup, acknowledged that the win came too late for his Olympic aspirations but remains focused on his other goals, including finishing high on the FedExCup standings and making the Presidents Cup team.

“Just to know that the good golf is in there and was able to come out this week, I want to just keep that rolling. I’ve still got plenty to play for this year,” he said.

Reflecting on his victory, Davis admitted it felt surreal given his recent struggles but expressed a renewed sense of purpose and excitement for the future.

“It's been a frustrating position to be in, especially to see the game kind of trending in the wrong direction for a lot of that time, but to kind of pop out of the depths and do this again, it kind of puts a little spark back into things,” Davis said. “I want to be out here; I want to be winning tournaments.

“All these things that come with winning are so much fun because you know you've done something great. To do it again, yeah, it feels pretty special now.”