Mark Hollis Previews the Rocket Classic

0:00As we continue in focus, you would expect us to talk about some of the great events that draw national attention to our area. There are so many of them now, I'm not even going to listen because for fear, I'll miss one, but one that I won't miss and one that I know is so special is the rocket classic. And what a pleasure it is to welcome J.R. Sundays with Mark Hollis, the actual Mark Hollis, who also happens to be the rocket classic tournament director with a very special announcement today. First of all, Mark, welcome to focus, always a pleasure. Well, thanks Paul W. It's always great to be with you, whether it's on your show focused or J.R. Sunday and look forward to this conversation. It was my pleasure to be on your show, J.R. Sundays, not too long ago. Sundays 8 to 10 and produced by the one and only Dave Rieger, who apparently has two great jobs as it turns out.

1:02We have the announcement of a couple of things. First of all, the continuation of a great event returning to the Detroit golf club for I think it's got to be about its eighth consecutive year. July 30th through August 2nd bringing the PGA Tour's top players back to Detroit, but also the announcement of when tickets will go on sale. I love you doing your show because you are so well informed and you have all the information and that's out there and thank you, but yes, we are planning to put tickets on sale right after the Masters, which is an ideal time giving folks really turn their attention to professional golf and the PGA Tour. A lot of the announcement comes from listening and I think anytime that you're running in the event of this magnitude, the first thing you need to do is listen to the patrons, the hospitality participants, and we did. We're lowering ticket prices really going from one of the highest among the PGA Tour to one of the most affordable tickets on the PGA Tour as well as $31.30 on Thursday with part of

2:11this advanced ticket purchase plan that will run through mid June. And even on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, you're going to have a great opportunity to come out to the beautiful Detroit golf club, enjoy it at a price. And it's not where we're going to stop is just on pricing. We've really looked at the whole experience for patrons coming out. From the time they leave their home to the time they return and how can we make the whole experience more enjoyable. So there'll be subsequent announcements coming out about a variety of ways to hear about things that are happening on the course, but it started with we want a lot of folks out here, Dan set the vision back in 2018 to do this event for the city of Detroit for the people of Detroit. And this is a step in that direction to make sure that we're fulfilling the vision that Dan had for bringing in a tour event to Detroit for the first time ever and started back in 2019. Well, it's incredible in it. It was not lost on on me when you talked about new lower prices.

3:12You don't hear that anywhere anymore. So God bless you. And you can go to rocketclassic.com starting Tuesday, April 7th to start purchasing your tickets rocketclassic.com. And it wasn't lost on me that that $31.30 is a nod to our 313 area code. I'll have to tip my hat to Nick Barley and he was we were talking about the strategy. He goes, let's take one down to the 313 number and he has that creative mind like I and I think some of the best ideas come from collaborating, from listening, from sharing. And that's what we were out at the Michigan golf show this past weekend. And again, we continued to listen and share ideas. And some of the comments really reinforced some of the decisions we're making about the 26th version of the rocketclassic. So things are going well. We're on recruiting trips this week, down at players to to bring some of the top players in here. I think the date at the end of July

4:13is much better than the late June date. So we're excited about all the things they're lining up for this year's rocketclassic. Well, it's, I know you're going to have some additional fan first enhancements that you will slowly let us know about in the months ahead. But if I could quote a famous guy, you might know him very well, Mark Hollis. I'm going to quote Mark Hollis, the rocket classic tournament director when he said you said, Detroit has the best sports fans in the country. And we want as many of them as possible to experience the rocket classic and bring the same unmatched energy they deliver to stadiums and arenas across the city. This is just the beginning. Well, put Mark. Well, thanks, Paul Davia. And it's, you know, the things that we do we care about. We understand the purpose. Dan created the great purpose and what we're trying to do is execute that. So as many Detroiters can come out to the Detroit golf club as possible and enjoy this

5:17incredible event. That is a celebration of the city from our charitable giving to the exciting experiences out here. This event is about Detroit and we look forward to hosting one heck of a rocket classic this year. Well, the rocket classic is one of the most awarded events ever. Best special event, best tournament sales, fairway award in your, for your diversity and inclusion initiatives, best volunteer program award. It goes on and on and on. More information always available at rocket classic.com rocket classic.com tickets go on sale Tuesday, April 7th as you're hearing here first. And and it's you've got presented by who's the presenter now for rocket classic. It's alumni file, which is ironically part of the MSU federal credit union family. And you know, I can never get too far away from even though there was was a really nice win by Michigan basketball. I can't get too far from the green and white. You know that.

6:17Well, listen, you were a great athletic director there for years and you did a great job. So good for you rocket classic presented by alumni. And frankly, I wanted you to say because I wasn't sure to pronounce it. And the only other thing I'd mention is the members of DGC are incredible. We're a guest out here. This tournament is a guest and their host hospitality and the redesign of this course. Your jaw is going to drop when you step foot on the Detroit Golf Club this year because the design, the work that Tyler Ray did on this and in conjunction with Sam, it's just beautiful out here. And it's it's going to step up the level of place significantly over prior years. So I've got to thank them. I got to thank you. And all the great people at WJR appreciate all that you do for the rocket classic and all of us in the city of Detroit. It's only gotten better, Mark Hollis. In now, it's eighth year. And we salute rocket classic Dan Gilbert, your entire team. Greg Ball, who handles some information that got to to our producer,

7:24Mike Parsons and you, the man we enjoyed on J.R. Sundays with Mark Hollis Sundays from eight to ten, produced by the one and only different. That goes back to his bowling days. And also, by the way, rocket classic tournament director, all round good guy, Mark Hollis. Thank you, Mark. Thanks Paul W. I appreciate you so much. Well, we appreciate you as we continue in focus on WJR.