What is the Area 313 Challenge at the Rocket Mortgage Classic?
PGA Tour

What is the Area 313 Challenge at the Rocket Mortgage Classic?

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If you're watching the 2020 Rocket Mortgage Classic at Detroit Golf Club, you may have heard the announcing crew mention the Area 313 Challenge and been wondering what in the world that is.

The Area 313 Challenge is a charitable effort for the event, and it revolves around the idea of playing three of the toughest holes on the Donald Ross design pretty much perfectly.

The three-hole stretch for the Area 313 Challenge is the par-5 14th, par-3 15th and par-4 16th holes at Detroit Golf Club. If a player can go eagle (3), hole-in-one (1) and birdie (3) -- so, playing three holes in seven shots and 5 under par -- then the player will complete the challenge and have a $313,000 charitable donation made in their name to the Rocket Giving Fund, which will help reduce the digital divide in the city of Detroit and provide better access to modern, high-speed internet for people at all income levels.

That's seemingly impossible to do, so there's also a per-hole component to the Area 313 Challenge.

If a player makes an eagle 3 on the 14th hole or a birdie 3 on the 16th hole, then a $5,000 donation will be made in their name.

If a player makes a hole-in-one on the 15th hole, then a $25,000 donation will be made in their name.

As you might imagine, the 313 concept comes from the area code for the Detroit area. Unfortunately, that wouldn't be possible in the D.C. area, with our predominant area code being 301.

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Ryan Ballengee

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