Welcome back to the BettingPros PGA Podcast.
Next up on the PGA Tour schedule is a trip to western Illinois, where the Quad Cities region hosts the John Deere Classic.
John Deere Classic Preview
The John Deere Classic has been a fixture on the PGA Tour schedule for years, but it rarely attracts a strong field because it comes shortly before The Open Championship. Many of the top players skip this event to travel overseas early or simply take the week off.
This year, the John Deere Classic is held the week before the Scottish Open, with The Open Championship following two weeks later. There are a few notable players making rare appearances, including Jordan Spieth and Keegan Bradley, but most of the biggest names in the world rankings and on the PGA Tour money list are absent.
By the way, Spieth earned his first PGA Tour victory at this event back in 2013 when he was just 19 years old. It was the first PGA Tour win by a teenager since 1931.
The John Deere Classic will be played at TPC Deere Run, a par-71 course measuring 7,327 yards.
It’s going to be a birdie fest this week — it always is at the John Deere Classic. TPC Deere Run is a relatively short course with wide fairways and large greens, so players are going to hit plenty of fairways and greens in regulation. However, those who miss their targets will have to contend with thick Kentucky bluegrass rough.
TPC Deere Run also features several sharp doglegs that can take the driver out of players’ hands, along with noticeable elevation changes that add another layer of strategy. The greens are bentgrass, and because players will be creating so many birdie opportunities, a hot putter is almost mandatory if you want to contend.
Brian Campbell is the defending champion. He finished at 18-under last year and defeated Emiliano Grillo in a playoff to earn his second career PGA Tour victory.
Davis Thompson won the John Deere Classic in 2024 at 28-under par, while Sepp Straka captured the title in 2023 at 21-under. J.T. Poston also finished at 21-under when he won in 2022.
It’s going to be hot in the Midwest this week — I can attest to that. Temperatures are expected to reach the upper 80s to low 90s during the first three rounds, with high humidity throughout the week. Sunday should be slightly cooler, but the humidity also brings the chance of thunderstorms on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Expect moderate breezes on Thursday and Friday, with lighter winds over the weekend.
Bo McBrayer on TPC Deere Run
I always look forward to this stretch of the calendar. A lot of people start going a little more lukewarm on golf as other sports fire up, but this is our opportunity to take some stabs at deeper fields.
This golf course is a birdie fest, but it also seems to be a career springboard for a lot of young players. Even if they don’t win, a strong showing here can be a precursor to the rest of their career, especially if they’re a PGA Tour rookie or amidst their first full season on Tour.
We have quite a few young and inexperienced players in this field, but experience doesn’t seem to matter much here. TPC Deere Run is almost a half-step up from a Korn Ferry Tour layout, so you’re going to find players at deeper odds with legitimate chances because the big guns aren’t here.
That’s going to shape my betting card this week. I’ll be sprinkling lighter wagers across more players rather than concentrating on a handful of favorites. I want to see which of these guys can make enough birdies to keep up, because that’s what it’s going to take to contend.
What I’m really excited about, though, is watching the next wave of young talent. This is the first opportunity for players like Blades Brown and Michael Brennan to show what they can do in a lighter field on a scoreable golf course. Let’s see what they’re made of. Maybe one of them becomes the next Ludvig Åberg, who finished fourth here in his debut. Or maybe they’re the next Jordan Spieth and win the darn thing at 19 years old.
Not every young player is worth betting, though. Some of them are a great value, and some of them are outright traps. That’s what we’ll sort through this week as we break down who to back and who to avoid.
Hard Rock Best Bets of the Week
It’s time for our Hard Rock Best Bets of the Week, presented by Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook.
Pat Fitzmaurice’s Best Bet
My Hard Rock Best Bet of the Week is J.T. Poston at 27-1. He’s coming off strong performances at both the Memorial Tournament and the U.S. Open, and he’s already proven he can win at TPC Deere Run.
Pat Fitzmaurice’s John Deere Classic Picks
- Hard Rock Best Bet: J.T. Poston (+2700)
- Michael Thorbjornsen (+3300)
- Sudarshan Yellamaraju (+4700)
- Aldrich Potgieter (+5300)
- Emiliano Grillo (+8000)
- Austin Eckroat (+15000)
- Denny McCarthy Top 10 (+465)
Bo McBrayer’s Best Bet
My Hard Rock Best Bet is right in that same range: Jordan Spieth at 28-1. He’s got the game, he’s got the course history, and he’s got the name value. There are going to be a lot of good vibes for Jordan coming back to the tournament where it all started. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see a Jordan Spieth-Blades Brown final pairing on Sunday. That would make all the storylines worth it — and hopefully we’d be watching our bets cash.
Bo McBrayer’s John Deere Classic Picks
- Hard Rock Best Bet: Jordan Spieth (+2800)
- Michael Brennan (+4600)
- Mac Meissner (+5000)
- Blades Brown (+5500)
- Emiliano Grillo (+8000)
- Zach Bauchou (+9000)
- David Lipsky (+27500)
- David Lipsky Top 20 (+1100)
That’ll do it for this week’s BettingPros PGA Podcast.
Be sure to join us again next week as we preview the Genesis Scottish Open.
Until then, so long, everyone.
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