20-YO Aldrich Potgieter joins Rory McIlroy in an exclusive club after victory at the Rocket Classic

Yesterday, Aldrich Potgieter won the 2025 Rocket Classic at Detroit Golf Club, USA. This is Potgieter's maiden win on the PGA Tour, and with this victory, the 20-year-old golfer just joined an exclusive club with the likes of Rory McIlroy in it.

The $9,600,000 PGA Tour event last week featured a mixed field with Cameron Davis defending his 2024 title. On Sunday, after playing the final 18 holes of the contest at Detroit Golf Club, Aldrich Potgieter clinched the title after winning a tough playoff.

20-year-old Potgieter, who's not a native of the United States, just achieved a win on the Tour. As pointed out by Justin Ray on his X account (previously Twitter), the South African golfer becomes the fifth golfer below 21 years of age to do so in 100 years.

Aldrich Potgieter joined the club where famed pros like Rory McIlroy, Seve Ballesteros, Tom Kim and Joaquin Niemann are there. Take a look at the veteran sports reporter's post on X here:

"Players to win on PGA Tour before age 21 from outside the United States, last 100 years... Seve Ballesteros Rory McIlroy Joaquin Niemann Tom Kim Aldrich Potgieter"

Back in 2010, Rory McIlroy won the 2010 Quail Hollow Championship by defeating Phil Mickelson with a four-stroke margin. He was a 21-year-old like Aldrich Potgieter back then. After four rounds of the 2010 competition, McIlroy won with a 15-under-par score.

Potgieter was tied with Max Greyserman and Chris Kirk after playing over 72 holes at Detroit Golf Club yesterday. Kirk was eliminated from the three-man playoff after he missed a 4-foot putt on the second playoff hole.

Aldrich Potgieter and Greyserman were showcasing a consistent fight by scoring pars, starting from the playoff hole 1. On the par-5 fifth playoff hole, Greyserman scored a par, while Potgieter secured an incredible birdie.

Potgieter hit a 9-iron on the hole, which landed his ball around 18 feet from the pin. After Greyserman missed the chance for a birdie putt, Potgieter made sure that he didn't.

Aldrich Potgieter shares his feelings following the Rocket Classic victory.

Potgieter was close to winning the 2025 Rocket Classic a bit early,y but he kept missing the chances. The PGA Tour professional missed two winning putts on the two playoff holes before scoring the birdie on the final hole.

While talking to the media after his win, Aldrich Potgieter appeared to be relieved to make the birdie putt. The golfer said in his statement (as quoted by FlashScore):

"Finally got one to the hole and saw the ball roll end over end and just knew it was going to go in. I'm just happy to walk away as a winner."

While talking about the difficulties of the final round, Potgieter was honest.

"It was definitely a tough day... The start didn't go my way. I struggled to make putts, left a lot short."

Potgieter finished the final 18 of 72 holes with a total round score of 3 under par 69. The golfer scored six birdies and bogeyed thrice throughout Round 4.

Edited by pranavsethii