On Sunday, a weight that had been on Cameron Davis’ shoulders for three years was lifted on the same golf course where he got his first break three years ago.
Davis overcame a crowded field at the top of the leaderboard to win the 2024 Rocket Mortgage Classic, thanks in large part to help from Akshay Bhatia, who led for much of the tournament. Bhatia nearly forced a playoff when he missed a par putt on the 18th hole. Bhatia missed his 4-foot-3 par putt wide right, giving Davis his second PGA Tour win and his first since winning at the Rocket in 2021.
Davis watched as the putt hit the right edge of the hole, then dribbled past a screen next to the third tee box that he’d been saving for a possible playoff. As the huge crowd gathered around the 18th green held their breath and watched his teammate sigh in despair, the anxiety he’d had since his last victory three years ago melted away.
More on Sunday:Ming Woo Lee delivers hot back nine to delight fans at the Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit
“I was actually pretty surprised that we were tied for the lead in the final group going into the 18th hole,” Davis said. “Then we were setting up for the playoff and he missed the putt. I was shocked and felt sorry for him at the same time. At the same time, I realized a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders to try and win again.”
Davis, a member of the Australian Tour who turned professional in 2016, was emotional after his win, reflecting on the personal soul-searching he undertook earlier this year to improve perhaps the most important aspect of a golfer: his mental health.
Davis began a hypnotherapy course three weeks ago after realizing his mental health had deteriorated over the first six months of 2024. His golf performance reflected the turmoil, missing the cut at the Masters four times and finishing as high as tied for 12th in 16 tournaments prior to the Rocket.
“I’m just trying to take a different approach to get my head back in the right place,” Davis said. “Honestly, I haven’t been in a good place mentally the last six months or so. As the year went on, I just felt like opportunities and things were all slipping away from me so I felt like a change of direction was definitely necessary. I’m definitely a starter, so I’m really going to stick with it. And it’s very easy to abandon something if you don’t feel like it’s going to help you right away.”
“I’ve been continuing the work I’ve been doing with Grace (hypnotherapy) and it’s had a huge impact very quickly. I’ve felt a lot better in the last week, the scores haven’t shown up and it’s this A couple of weeks ago I wasn’t even close, so this week is unbelievable.”
Davis played in the penultimate pairing on Sunday, one stroke behind Bhatia and Aaron Lai at 17 under par. He started the final round with a bogey on the first hole but reeled off three birdies by the seventh hole to move to 18 under par and tie for the lead with Bhatia. The two were tied, but when Davis tried to reach the par-5 14th hole in two strokes, his 3-wood approach landed off the edge of the green and rolled into the water, dropping him to one stroke behind with a bogey.
He was right behind Bhatia going into the final two holes, with an up-and-down birdie on the par-5 17th and then a par on the 18th to head to the clubhouse at 18 under, unaware of the good fortune – or bad fortune – that was about to unfold for Bhatia.
“It’s a tough situation for him and for anybody to be a benefactor. It’s kind of a weird situation,” Davis said, “but at the same time, it’s a huge relief because it’s been so long since I’ve been at the top, so I’m just going to continue to enjoy it and be grateful.”
Future Outlook:Charlie Woods? Timing? Money? How can Rocket Mortgage Classic improve in that area?
The three-year climb to the top was exhausting for Davis. Instead of parlaying his first tour victory into the start of a steady climb up the World Golf Rankings, Davis continued to struggle without a second breakthrough win and grew increasingly frustrated as he watched younger, newer golfers emerge and achieve even more success.
“I wanted it to be the start of something special,” Davis said of the Rockets’ win in 2021. “It’s been three years and (I) really didn’t have another opportunity, like a really good chance to get it done again. It’s been so frustrating for years because you see a lot of young guys coming out and winning multiple times and making it happen.”
“It was a frustrating situation, especially watching the game go the wrong way all that time.”
But Davis made progress from the inside out first, and eventually he had a breakthrough: Focusing on his mental health through hypnotherapy, he said, helped him stop focusing on his mistakes and open up his game on the course, allowing him to hit shots on the tree-filled course at Detroit Golf Club.
“I’m just getting myself used to being in a creative state again,” Davis said. “I think I was just trying so hard not to make mistakes that I just wasn’t able to get the creative juices flowing. It just feels like a combination of timing and the golf course, where I’m just starting to feel like I’m starting to get that spark and magic back in my game.”
