Highlighted by 2024 record-setting winner Davis Thompson (+3300), the John Deere Classic features five of the last six champions for the 2025 event. Thompson, who posted a tournament record 28-under-par (256), became the sixth first-time TOUR winner at TPC Deere Run since 2013. He is also the fourth consecutive champion who resides on St. Simons Island. Playing in the event for the third time (T31, 2023), half of his rounds are 65 or better for a 66.13 scoring average on the par 71 (7,289 yards).

2022 champion, J.T. Poston (+3000), signed for 21-under and continued the tradition of winners posting 18-under or better since 2009. Opening with 62 in 2022, the low round of the day, the North Carolina native is the only player to have won the event in wire-to-wire fashion. A winner in his fifth start, he joins the club of eight of the last 10 champions who have won in five starts or fewer. Poston’s best payday before his victory was T64 on debut in 2017. Since winning, he cashed T6 in defense (-16) and T30 (-14) in 2024. His streak of rounds in the 60s is alive at 13 and counting.

Lucas Glover (+4000) won on his 12th visit in 2021, the most experienced winner at TPC Deere Run. Glover is the oldest winner since Steve Stricker went back-to-back-to-back from 2009 to 2011 at 44 years old. Glover is 32-under over his last two visits. Posting 16-under in 2023 resulted in T6. Posting 16-under in 2024 barely hit the top 25 at T23. In his previous six appearances, he’s cashed T25 or better, including three top-10 results, in five.

Birdie or Better Percentage

Players listed below are competing this week; 2025 ranking

The length, or absence thereof, at 7,289 yards and shootout conditions open the door for everyone. The event, which has consistently played to a full shot under par, produced its lowest scoring average in recent memory at 68.781 in 2024. The field needed 5-under or better to play the weekend, the lowest cut line in event history. A score of 20-under was not enough to break into the top 10; 16-under was T23. Going low and converting Greens in Regulation chances to birdies or better are requirements in the heartland. The L93 Bentgrass putting surfaces are some of the best used on TOUR outside of Muirfield Village and reward properly weighted efforts. TPC Deere Run conceded the second-most birdies in 2024.

2019 winner Dylan Frittelli (+75000) squared only one bogey for the week in his debut victory. 2023 champion Sepp Straka (not entered this week) is the ONLY winner to sign for a round ABOVE par in victory. The par 4 holes are some of the easiest on TOUR, ranking annually inside the top 10 in scoring.

Michael Kim (+4000) set the 54-hole (22-under) and 72-hole scoring records, winning for the first time on TOUR in 2018. Winning by eight shots also set a tournament record. He is 0-4 qualifying for the weekend since his title, but missed on 4-under in 2024.

The Quad Cities' favorite son, Iowan Zach Johnson (+17000), has made the cut 19 times at the John Deere Classic from 22 attempts in his “home game”. Only Stricker has earned more money in the history of the event. Johnson will look to add to his record-setting total of cuts made and add to his streak of playing the weekend in 16 straight years. From 2009 through 2017, he hit the top five in seven of nine events. In 82 loops, he’s posted rounds in the 60s SIXTY times.

John Deere Classic notables

• The field of 156 players includes 35 of the top 100 from the Official World Golf Ranking.
• The last player to win on debut was Dylan Frittelli (2019). The South African is just one of two players to break their maiden at TPC Deere Run.
• Thompson and Frittelli are the last two players to win for the first time on TOUR.
• Sepp Straka (not entered) is the only champion in recent events to have a round ABOVE 71 and win the event.
• Jordan Spieth (not entered) won the last playoff in 2015, his second win in three seasons in extra holes in the Quad Cities.
• There are no multiple champions entered.
• The top 65 players and ties will qualify for the weekend.

Oddsmaker’s extras

• Denny McCarthy (+2500): The last three years, he produced paydays of T7, T6, and T6 and an aggregate of 53-under-par. Eight of 12 rounds are 66 or better.
• Adam Schenk (+17000): Making his seventh visit, the Indiana native has made the weekend three times and cashed T4, T4, and T6. Falling short of the weekend twice, he posted 2-under each time. Has a scoring average of 68.18 over 20 rounds.
• Michael Thorbjornsen (+3000): The co-runner-up from 2024 posted 24-under, four shots adrift of Thompson, to follow up his T17 (-14) from 2023. His last seven rounds produced an aggregate of 40-under.
• Kevin Yu (+3500): Cashing T6 on debut on 16-under, he returned in 2024 with T20 on 17-under. His last seven loops are in the 60s, including 63 in Round 2 in 2024.
• Players who have hit the podium in the last three seasons include Luke Clanton, Alex Smalley, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, and Emiliano Grillo.

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