The annual John Deere Classic will kick off this Thursday morning on TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Illinois! The John Deere Classic is always played a week before the British Open, meaning the field is usually a little weaker overall as the top names in golf prepare for the final major tournament of the PGA Tour. 2019 will be no different, but there are still plenty of talented golfers in the field, including recent 3M Open winner Matthew Wolff.
The event is always played at TPC Deere Run, but has held a variety of different names since 1971 when it began as the Quad Cities Open. As different sponsors hosted the event, it has also been known as the Miller High Life Quad Cities Open, Hardee’s Golf Classic, Quad City Classic, and is now known as the John Deere Classic since 1999. The prize pool has gradually increased in most years, and now features a $6 million total purse for this year’s event.
TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Illinois is a scenic and classic PGA Tour golf course. It is a par 71 spanning just over 7,250 yards, designed by D.A. Weibring. The course stays true to nature, with plenty of trees, ponds, and varying elevations to give it a lasting impression. As a golfer and three-time champion of the John Deere Classic (when it was known as the Quad Cities Open/Classic), Weibring blends a perfect mixture of PGA Tour knowledge with natural beauty of Silvis, Illinois.
Last year, the John Deere Classic was absolutely dominated by Michael Kim. En route to his first-ever PGA Tour victory, Kim finished with a record-low 257 score, a whole 27 strokes below par. Unfortunately, Kim’s had an extremely rough 2019, missing the cut in 18 straight events. That isn’t deterring him from defending his title this year.
With all the best golfers waiting for the British Open next week, the field is a little weaker than your average tournament. The betting favorite this weekend is actually recent pro, Collin Morikawa. He’s only played in 4 tournaments, but he’s placed in all of them, including 14th at the RBC Candian Open and 2nd last week at the 3M Open. This weekend is a perfect chance for Collin to show the world he means business.
Tied with Morikawa is another young man, Viktor Hovland. Hovland has played in 8 tournaments this year, but has placed in his last 6 after missing the cut in his first 2. Even better, he’s placed 12th once and 13th twice in his last 4 events, meaning that he can definitely swing with the best of them. He’ll go head to head with Morikawa as co-favorites and co-youngsters.
Earning himself third place in the betting odds is Matthew Wolff. Wolff is red-hot right now after winning the 3M Open at 21 strokes under par. Prior to that, he hadn’t finished better than 50th in a tournament this year, making his victory truly phenomenal. Heading into the final round of the 3M Open, both he and Morikawa were tied with Bryson DeChambeau at 15 strokes under. Wolff ultimately edged them both out, grabbing his first PGA Tour victory (and yanking it away from Morikawa!)
Great Picks
Collin Morikawa, +1600 – After finishing 2nd at the 3M Open, you have to imagine Morikawa is hungrier than ever for his first PGA Tour Victory. Yes, he’s played in just 4 tournaments, but he was a stroke away from his first victory last Sunday. Collin is a fantastic scorer and TPC Deere Run is a scorer’s paradise, making it a perfect chance for redemption. Morikawa is probably your best pick for this weekend, considering the impressive start to his pro career.
Brian Harman, +2500 – Another good choice here is Brian Harman. Harman has had a fairly mixed year, but he finished 7th at the 3M Open last week and 8th at the Travelers Championship last month. Don’t forget that Harman won the John Deere Classic back in 2014. He’s also 9th in scoring on par-5 holes, of which TPC Deere Run has 3.
Zach Johnson, +3300 – At this point, you just can’t ignore Zach Johnson. Johnson hasn’t had a very good year on tour, with just one top 10 finish and that came in November. However, Johnson did win here back in 2012, and has come in 2nd place in 2009, 2013, and 2014. His extensive history with the course alone puts him in great standings even if he isn’t at the top of his game right now.
Betting Odds
- Collin Morikawa: +1600
- Viktor Hovland: +1600
- Matthew Wolff: +2000
- Lucas Glover: +2000
- Brian Harman: +2500
- Charles Howell III: +2500
- Joaquin Niemann: +2500
- Kevin Streelman: +2500
- Ryan Moore: +2500
- Sungjae Im: +2500
- Daniel Berger: +2800
- Zach Johnson: +3300
- Sam Burns: +4000
- Wyndham Clark: +4000
- Bud Cauley: +5000
- Jason Kokrak: +5000
- Kyle Stanley: +5000
- Martin Laird: +5000
- Nate Lashley: +5000
- Nick Watney: +5000
- Scott Brown: +5000
