The PGA Tour shifts gears this week for the John Deere Classic at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Illinois. With The Open Championship now just two weeks away, several of the world’s top players are skipping this one to finalise their links preparations across the pond, leaving the door wide open for the Tour’s emerging names to make a statement. We take a look at this week’s action and offer up our suggested bets for consideration.
The Course
This week’s action heads to TPC Deere Run, a D.A. Weibring design that has hosted the John Deere Classic since 2000. The par-71 layout measures around 7,289 yards, (6665 meters) with rolling Mississippi River bluff terrain, tree-lined fairways and pristine bentgrass greens. The course is famously a birdie-fest, Davis Thompson took the title at a remarkable 28-under in 2024, and despite the length on paper, generous fairways and forgiving rough mean driving accuracy doesn’t play the role they do at most other PGA Tour venues.
From a betting angle, this is a course where iron play and birdie conversion are everything. Greens in regulation has historically been the most predictive stat at TPC Deere Run, with strokes gained on approach also worth heavy weighting. Look for the player who can hit a high percentage of greens, dial in his short irons from inside 150 yards and roll in birdies in bunches. Course history is also a strong signal here.
Market Leaders
In a thinner-than-usual field, Ben Griffin tops the board at 15.00, with Chris Gotterup just behind at 17.00. Jackson Koivun is next at 21.00, with Keith Mitchell at 23.00 and a pair of more familiar names, Keegan Bradley and former John Deere winner J.T. Poston, both at 26.00. With no overwhelming favourite, this looks like a week where value further down the list could well be the play.
Betting (2026 John Deere Classic) - Click here to bet
Ben Griffin 15.00
Chris Gotterup 17.00
Jackson Koivun 21.00
Keith Mitchell 23.00
Keegan Bradley 26.00
J.T. Poston 26.00
Previous winners
2025 Brian Campbell (United States) -18 (Playoff)
2024 Davis Thompson (United States) -28 (4 strokes)
2023 Sepp Straka (Austria) −21 (2 strokes)
2022 J.T. Poston (United States) −21 (3 strokes)
2021 Lucas Glover (United States) −19 (2 strokes)
2020 Cancelled due to Covid
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Selections:
Tom Kim at 31.00
Our first pick this week is Tom Kim. With a number of the World’s top players sitting this one out, I think the South Korean stands a great chance of breaking through. Kim is coming off a brilliant US Open performance where he was one of only three players in the field to finish under par, ending the major in third place. Going into Shinnecock he had finished 15th at the RBC Canadian Open just seven shots off the lead. Where Kim really has an edge on this field is his approach play, he is currently ranked 16th on Tour for strokes gained on approach and 6th from 125-150 yards. That profile suits TPC Deere Run perfectly, and at 31.00 I really like him this week.
Suggested bet: Tom Kim each way at 31.00
Emiliano Grillo at 61.00
Our second pick this week is Emiliano Grillo, largely on the back of an excellent record at this venue. The Argentine has finished runner-up at the John Deere on two of his last three starts here, three shots behind J.T. Poston in 2022, and a playoff loser last year. He also comes into this week off two solid results, having finished 20th at the Canadian Open and then 23rd at a brutal US Open last weekend. Based on his current form and his clear love affair with this venue, I really like Grillo for a top-five finish at 15.00 this week.
Suggested bet: Small bet Emiliano Grillo to win at 61.00 with a bigger play on a Top 5 finish at 15.00
Max Homa at 61.00
Homa has shown encouraging signs of returning to form in recent weeks, with top-25 finishes in each of his last two starts. While those results may not grab the headlines, they suggest his game is trending in the right direction.
His course form also stands out. After several years away from the John Deere Classic, Homa returned last year and produced an impressive fifth-place finish, showing that TPC Deere Run suits his eye. Not long ago, he was widely expected to establish himself as a permanent fixture inside the world's top 10, and at 35 years old, it is far too early to write him off.
If he can continue building on his recent performances, he looks capable of mounting a serious challenge this week.
Suggested bet: Max Homa each way at 61.00.
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Note: All prices are correct at the time of writing but are subject to change.