Before the best players in the world head across the pond for a few weeks of links golf, a field of PGA Tour pros is in Silvis, Illinois, for the John Deere Classic.
Webb Simpson, who’s coming off a tie for 13th at the Travelers Championship, enters the week as the betting favorite at +1300. Adam Hadwin follows him at +1500 while Sahith Theegala, who suffered heartbreak once again, this time in Cromwell, Connecticut, sits at +2000.
Lucas Glover is the defending champion and enters with four straight made cuts, including a T-23 at the PGA Championship.
Let’s take a look at some names to target this week.
Golf course
TPC Deere Run | Par 71 | 7,289 yards
Key statistics
Birdies. Players need to make a lot of birdies if they want a shot at contending. The average winning score over the last five playings of the JDC is 21.4 under. So, let’s target players with great par 4 scoring averages and proximity to the hole.
Data Golf Information
Course Fit (compares golf courses based on the degree to which different golfer attributes — such as driving distance — to predict who performs well at each course – DataGolf): 1. The Summit Club, 2. East Lakes Golf Club, 3. Annandale GC
Percent chance to win (based on course history, fit, trending, etc.): 1. Charles Howell III (3.6 percent), 2. Adam Hadwin (3.4 percent), 3. Webb Simpson (3.3 percent)
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LIV additions, Travelers recap, JDC preview:
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Betting preview
Player | Odds | Player | Odds |
Webb Simpson | (+1300) | Brendon Todd | (+4000) |
Adam Hadwin | (+1500) | Adam Long | (+4000) |
Sahith Theegala | (+2000) | Cameron Davis | (+4000) |
Charles Howell III | (+3000) | Nick Hardy | (+4000) |
Jason Day | (+3000) | Lucas Glover | (+5000) |
Patrick Rodgers | (+3000) | Chez Reavie | (+5000) |
Christiaan Bezuidenhout | (+3000) | J.T. Poston | (+5000) |
Maverick McNealy | (+3000) | Cameron Champ | (+5000) |
Denny McCarthy | (+3000) | Martin Laird | (+6000) |
Scott Stallings | (+4000) | Kevin Streelman | (+6000) |
McCarthy missed the cut at the Travelers Championship last week, but before that, posted back-to-back top 10s at the Memorial and U.S. Open.
The JDC often becomes a putting contest, and it’s not the worst idea to grab one of the best putters on the PGA Tour (fifth in SG: Putting this season).
Key stats rankings this season
- Par 4 scoring average: 20th
Bets to consider: Outright (+3000), Top 20 (+150)
Howell III has made three of his last four cuts, highlighted by a top 20 at the Memorial. In his last three appearances at the JDC, Howell III has finished T-23 or better three times including a tie for sixth in 2019.
Key stats rankings this season
- Par 4 scoring average: 15th
Bets to consider: Outright (+3000), Top 20 (+180)
It’s been great or disaster for Stallings over his last four starts. He missed the weekend at the Memorial and U.S. Open but grabbed top 10s at the Charles Schwab Challenge (T-4) and Travelers Championship (T-8).
Stallings has three top 20s in his last five appearances at the JDC.
Key stats rankings this season
- Par 4 scoring average: 72nd
Bets to consider: Outright (+3000), Top 20 (+162)
Full betting card will be posted to my Twitter account Wednesday afternoon (6/29) – @rileyhamel_