More than 8,000 miles from home, golfer plays his way into the Rocket

Washington Township — There are long journeys to the PGA Tour. Then there is Justin Quiban's.

Quiban grew up in the Philippines, more than 8,000 miles (by straight line) from Detroit Golf Club, where he will tee it up in this week's Rocket Classic. It marks his second PGA Tour stop, first since 2021.

Quiban was one of four players who emerged from Monday's qualifier at The Orchards Golf Club, rounding out the field of 147 players for the eighth and final Rocket. The Rocket runs Thursday through Sunday.

"It's for me," Quiban, 30, said of life as a golfing globetrotter. "I'm enjoying my time. I love traveling. I love meeting new people. This lifestyle is perfect for me.

"Growing up, I've always wanted to see the world and play the game that I love, wherever it takes me.

"I know it's hard, but I love it."

Quiban has been a regular on the Asian Tour for the past several years, and this year that circuit has taken him from his home country to New Zealand to Japan to Singapore to South Korea to Taiwan to Morocco.

After his Morocco swing last month, he decided to visit a brother in Los Angeles. While there, he pondered a pre-qualifier for last week's 3M Open outside Minneapolis, but missed the registration deadline. Oops. So he signed up for the next pre-qualifier, at Twin Lakes in Oakland Township, where he tied for fourth to earn his spot into Monday's final qualifier at The Orchards. There, he shot a 6-under 66, to book his Thursday tee time at DGC.

It's long been his dream to play on the PGA Tour. He never thought that dream would include Detroit.

"No, no," he said with a laugh. "But I guess it took me here and got me through."

The medalist Monday was Keenan Huskey, 29, a former University of South Carolina golfer who shot an 8-under 64, two clear of the runners-up. His round featured six birdies and an eagle, as he earned his third PGA Tour start. Joining Quiban at 66 were Daniel Azallion, 25, out of Virginia Tech, and Ryan Celano, 30, out of the University of North Carolina. Celano has one PGA Tour start on his resume, and for Azallion, the Rocket will be his first.

Add it up, and the four Monday qualifiers have made four total starts on the PGA Tour, with no made cuts.

But it just takes one week for everything to change. For Quiban, he already feels like a winner this week, getting into the Rocket, but he still allowed himself to dream about what a dream week would mean. There have, after all, been four Monday qualifiers to win on the PGA Tour since 1983, the last being Corey Conners at the 2019 Texas Open.

"I was just talking to my girlfriend and I was like, 'Imagine if I win it, I won't be able to see you (because she lives in Australia,'" Quiban said. "She's gonna hate me more (laughs), but she's gonna love me more.

"But I'll take whatever it gets me."

Quiban was 1 under through his first 11 holes Monday, after a bogey at the par-3 second (he started on the back nine), and he knew he'd have to make quite a charge to the clubhouse if he was going to get through. It takes birdies galore to get through most Monday qualifiers. And he was up to the task, making birdies at the par-4 fourth and par-3 fifth, before making eagle at the par-5 sixth. He made one more birdie at the par-4 eighth. It proved to be a big, big birdie.

A 67, it turns out, would've put Quiban in a playoff, but a 66 was enough to avoid one. There almost was a playoff among the 66s, but a late-finishing player three-putted his final hole for a bogey to card a 67, which sealed the final four entries into the Rocket Classic field.

Quiban was among the early finishers Monday, making for a very stressful wait. As the final players made their way over to the scorer's pavilion, he thought he was in, then he thought there was going to be a playoff, so he quickly headed to the putting green to take a few more strokes. Then came word. No playoff. He was in.

"It's nerve-wracking, like even just warming up for the potential playoff, I was already shaking," Quiban said. "The emotions are just up and down and up and down."

And when he finally realized his spot in the Rocket was secure?

"It's dope," said Quiban, who shot two 73s to miss the cut by six shots in his PGA Tour debut at the 3M Open five years ago, but feels better equipped to handle it now — given the journey, which has been long, figuratively and literally.

"Back in the 3M, I didn't know what I was doing. So now that I've gained experience playing with LIV (Golf) players out on the Asian tour, I won't be so distracted as I was back in 2021. I think I'll be coming in with more experience, not being too starstruck. And (we'll) see if I can actually show off my potential."

It's been known to happen before in Detroit. Doc Redman was a Monday qualifier in 2019, then went on to finish second in the inaugural Rocket Classic. He's since gone on to win more than $5 million on the PGA Tour.

More than 170 golfers participated in one of two Rocket pre-qualifiers earlier this month, including Quiban and Celano. Then, a field of 51 teed it up at Monday's final qualifier, with one player, Hayden Springer, not finishing, because he got the call that he'd been added to the Rocket Classic field when former PGA Championship winner Jason Day withdrew.

Popular PGA Tour player Harry Higgs was scheduled to play Monday but was a no-show, while longtime touring pro, Traverse City resident and Michigan State alum Ryan Brehm, a veteran of several Rockets, withdrew before the qualifier.

Shea Harmeson, a former Saginaw Valley State golfer from Traverse City, was the best local finisher Monday, with a 3-under 69. Brighton's Beau Breault (Eastern Michigan), Holt's Andrew Walker (Michigan State) and Clarkston's Patrick Deardorff (East...

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