Michael Thorbjornsen Wins Rocket Classic, Leica M4 Maintenance & Scans
Posted by Pat Hathaway | August 3, 2026
The coffee is pitch black this Monday morning, the coastal fog is providing some much-needed relief from last week’s Mojave heat, and Big Boy Dan is currently outside on my patio, loudly questioning his own sanity. The weekend is over, and the sportsbooks have officially collected their dues.
The Detroit Disaster and a 24-Year-Old Phenom
If you were tracking my last update, you know Dan was absolutely convinced that the soft fairways at the Rocket Classic in Detroit would eventually favor the seasoned tour grinders. He bet heavily on the veterans to pull through over the weekend.
Instead, a 24-year-old named Michael Thorbjornsen absolutely dismantled the Detroit Golf Club. We sat on the couch yesterday watching Thorbjornsen fire off a bogey-free, 7-under 63 in the final round to secure his very first PGA Tour title. He finished at 18-under, beating Xander Schauffele by two strokes. Dan watched his entire “Midwestern turf analysis” evaporate in real-time. If you want to dive into the stroke-gained analytics that defied Dan’s logic, you can read the official tournament breakdown over on the
PGA Tour’s portal.
I’m keeping my Golden Tempo winnings locked up tight. Golf is too unpredictable, especially when rookies are shooting 63 on a Sunday.
Mojave Sand and Mechanical Maintenance
While Dan is mourning his bank account, my primary focus this morning has been on triage. Taking a vintage Leica M4 into the Mojave Desert is a fantastic way to capture high-contrast, gritty black-and-white landscapes, but the desert always takes a toll on the hardware.
The fine, alkaline dust of the Mojave has a way of infiltrating even the tightest German engineering. Before I even thought about loading another roll of film, I spent two hours at the workbench this morning with a rocket blower, a soft-bristle brush, and some isopropyl alcohol. Stripping down a mechanical rangefinder to clean the viewfinder windows and the lens mount is a therapeutic process. For those who want to keep their own analog gear alive for another fifty years, I always recommend the rigorous gear maintenance guides over at
B&H Photo Video’s Explora blog.
There are no circuit boards to short out in the M4, just brass gears and springs. Treat them right, and they will outlive you.
Final Prints in the Hub
With the camera gear finally clean, I turned my attention back to the light table. The negatives from the Barstow run are fully dry, and the contrast I pushed in the motel sink development tank looks spectacular. The harsh shadows cast by the Joshua trees give the landscapes a moody, almost cinematic weight.
I’ve scanned the final batch of these 35mm frames and pushed the high-resolution files into the
California Views Gallery Hub. Go take a look at the grit of the American West. It’s a stark contrast to the lush coastal redwoods I was shooting a few weeks ago.
The Wyndham Warning
I can already hear Dan muttering about Sedgefield Country Club. The Wyndham Championship tees off this coming Thursday, and it’s the final event before the FedExCup Playoffs. Dan is desperate to win back his Detroit losses.
He is currently cross-referencing tee times on
ESPN’s golf coverage, muttering about “course history” and “Bermuda grass.” I have already told him I am not floating him a loan for this one. I have fresh film to buy, and my mechanical cameras need feeding.
Comments
BigBoyDan: Thorbjornsen just got hot with the putter on the back nine, Pat. It’s an anomaly. Sedgefield is a ball-striker’s paradise. I’m doubling down on Thursday.
JudgeRoy: A properly maintained Leica is a beautiful thing, Patrick. The Mojave scans show excellent tonal range. I commend your dedication to the craft this week.
