The very familiar TPC Deere Run will host for the 20th time so familiarity should be on the cards this week.
That and first time TOUR winners in their 20s if we follow the trends!
The John Deere Classic returns to celebrate 50 years of PGATOUR action in the Quad Cities.
The celebration for the 50th event of the John Deere Classic was put on the shelf for a year as COVID-19 precautions took precedence. The doors to the Quad Cities will be wide open this week as TPC Deere Run will host the golden anniversary. Speaking of wide open, the field of 156 will be just that as those entered this week know there are only a handful of weeks left to do the business.
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DA Weibring won this event three times and is the architect behind TPC Deere Run, host of the event since 2000. The Par-71 (35-36) rolls along the Rock River and the rock will need to be rolled this week to contend. With some of the easiest fairways on TOUR to hit annually the premium will be put on iron players and hot putters.
For the third consecutive week Bentgrass greens running 11.5 feet on the Stimpmeter and averaging around 5,500 square feet will be on the menu. Errant shots will be eaten up by bunkers, closely mown areas and four inches of Bluegrass and fescue.
With 78 bunkers, mounding and three water hazards offering resistance solid
Ball Striking will be rewarded if the flat stick can keep up with the barrage of birdies needed to win. The HIGHEST winning score since 2009 is 18-under so there’s no time for bogeys or scores in the 70s again this week (or next week for that matter at 3M). Don’t be surprised to see streaks of futility broken this week!
The last five winners have finished in the top eight in Strokes-Gained: Putting plus the last four winners were T6 or better Ball-Striking. Only one of the last six winners have been inside the top 20 in Driving Distance (All Drives) so prodigious length is not REQUIRED (never hurts, right?) this week. The Par-5 holes are all gettable but five of the last six winners have also been in the top 10 in Par-3 scoring. Dating back to Zach Johnson in 2012 every victor since has been 20-something.
On the line this week is a $6.2 million prize pool with $1.116 million to the winner plus 500 FedExCup points. If the winner is not exempt into The Open Championship, he’ll join that field as well. If the winner is already in the field the best finisher inside the top five not already exempt will join the charter flight club. 2019 Dylan Frittelli leads the field of 156 and will look to join Steve Stricker (2009-2011) as the only player to successfully defend the title this century.
Recent Event Winners Stats
| Year | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
| Dylan Frittelli | Michael Kim | B. DeChambeau | |
| Score | 263 | 257 | 266 |
| To Par | 21-under | 27-under | 18-under |
| MOV | 2 | 8 | 1 |
| Cut | 3-under | 4-under | 2-under |
| Age | 29 | 25 | 24 |
| Disantance – All Drives | 37 | 38 | T18 |
| Driving Accuarcy | T7 | T2 | T32 |
| GIR | T10 | 3 | T11 |
| Ball-Striking | 3 | 1 | T6 |
| Proximity | T21 | 1 | 13 |
| Putting: Birdie or Better % | 35 | 1 | 6 |
| SG: Off-the-Tee | 10 | 34 | 17 |
| SG: Approach-the-Green | 60 | 11 | 27 |
| SG: Around-the-Green | 2 | 47 | 38 |
| SG: Putting | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| SG: Tee-to-Green | 15 | 16 | 18 |
| Scrambling | 1 | T1 | T29 |
| Bogey Avoidance | 1 | 1 | T10 |
| Par-3 Scoring | T10 | T7 | T1 |
| Par-4 Scoring | 1 | 1 | T30 |
| Par-5 Scoring | T8 | T37 | T6 |
Recent Winners
2020: No Event – COVID-19
2019 – Dylan Frittelli (-21, 263)
Played the weekend bogey-free 65-64 to win by two. … Began Sunday two back. … Trailed by four after 18 and five after 36. … Circled 22 birdies against just one bogey for the week. … First debut winner since 2005 (Sean O’Hair). … First TOUR win in 33rd start at age 29. … Third consecutive first-time winner. … Only the second international winner since 2006. … Won twice previously on the European Tour and Challenge Tour. … Entered the week with nothing better than T45 in his previous five starts including a pair of MC.
Notables in the field this week:
Russell Henley (2nd) posted 28 birdies (1st) and set the tournament record for lowest final round score 61, but was two off the event record of 59 set by Paul Goydos in 2010. … Andrew Landry (3rd) shared the 54 hole lead on 16-under but finished three back after 69. … Charles Howell III (T6) closed 65-65 for his fifth consecutive pay day here. … Adam Schenk (T6) was T2 GIR. … Vaughn Taylor (T6) circled 24 birdies. … Lucas Glover (T10) picked up his first top 10 in his 11th start. … Bill Haas (T10) joined Henley as the only two players in the top 15 to post a round in the 70s for the week. … Roger Sloan (T10) backed up his T18 debut from 2015. … Defending champion Michael Kim MC. … Jhonattan Vegas (T37) shot 62 to lead after 36 holes. … Henley entered the week on a streak of four straight MC. … Top 46 players were 10-under or better. … 38 bogey-free rounds for the week. … Scoring average 69.510. … Cut was 3-under.
2018 – Michael Kim (-27, 257)
Set the new tournament scoring record and margin of victory (8 shots). … Missed the Par-71 TOUR scoring record by one. … Led by five after 54 holes (-22). … Trailed by one after opening with 63; led by three after 36 holes. … Circled 30 birdies (1st) against just three bogeys. … First TOUR win in 84th start two days after turning 25. … Cashed for the third straight year here. … MC in five of six events entering the week.
Notables in the field this week:
Bronson Burgoon (T2) posted 62 in Round 2 for the co-low round of the week. … Debutant Sam Ryder (T2) made two doubles on the week and still posted 19-under. … Harold Varner III (6th) cashed his only top 10 in three starts. … John Huh (T7) picked up his first top 50 here in six tries. He enters this week on six straight MC… Keith Mitchell (T7) circled 24 birdies on debut. … Andres Romero (T7) posted 64 in Rounds 1 and 3. … Kevin Streelman (T7) picked up his third top 10 in his eighth start. … Defending champion Bryson DeChambeau WD after 15 holes with a shoulder injury. … Steve Stricker (2010) owns the tournament record with 31 birdies. … Preferred lies were used in Round 3. … Top 49 players were 10-under or better. … 36 bogey-free rounds. … Scoring average 69.375. … Cut 4-under. … Played as the sixth easiest course on TOUR in 2018 season.
2017 – Bryson DeChambeau (-18, 266)
Closed with 65 to win by one. … Trailed by four after 54 holes. … Birdied seven of his final 11 holes and came home in 30. … First TOUR win at age 24 in 40th start. … Highest winning total since 2008. … Trailed by two after 36 holes before posting 70 in Round 3. … 24 birdies against six bogeys. … Made 15 putts of 10 feet or greater to lead the field. … MC in his first attempt in 2015. … Entered the week trending T26-T17-T14 after MC in his seven previous starts.
Notables in the field this week:
Patrick Rodgers (2nd) led after 36 and 54 holes. … Daniel Berger (T5) signed for 63 in Round 3 to trail by two after 54 holes. … 2007 winner Jonathan Byrd (T5) picked up his only top 20 since his victory. … 2012 winner Zach Johnson (T5) ran his streak of T5 or better to seven of nine years. … 3-time victor Steve Stricker (T5) picked up his eight and last top 10. … Scott Stallings (T5) has only made four cuts in eight starts but they’re all T25 or better. … 2014 champ Brian Harman (T10) added his second top 10 in four years. … Defending champion Ryan Moore MC. … Charles Howell III (T19) co-led after 18 holes with 63. … Top 43 players were 10-under or better. … Scoring average 69.753. … Cut was 2-under.
Key stat leaders
Top golfers in each statistic on the 2020-2021 PGA TOUR are listed only if they are scheduled to compete this week.
| Ball-Striking | |
| Rank | Player |
| 6 | Martin Laird |
| 7 | Matthew NeSmith |
| 10 | Daniel Berger |
| 13 | Sungjae Im |
| 14 | Henrik Norlander |
| 21 | Doug Ghim |
| 24 | Kevin Streelman |
| 27 | Kyle Stanley |
| 29 | Joseph Bramlett |
| 35 | Kramer Hickok |
| 36 | Aaron Wise |
| 41 | Jhonattan Vegas |
| 44 | Brice Garnett |
| 47 | Hudson Swafford |
| 48 | Adam Schenk |
| 49 | Sean O’Hair |
| 51 | Will Gordon |
| 52 | Luke List |
| 53 | Russell Henley |
| 53 | Lucas Glover |
| 53 | Roger Sloan |
| 56 | Bronson Burgoon |
| 57 | Cameron Champ |
| 58 | Sepp Straka |
| Strokes-Gained: Putting | |
| Rank | Player |
| 3 | Zach Johnson |
| 7 | JT Poston |
| 8 | Chesson Hadley |
| 10 | Kris Ventura |
| 12 | Rhein Gibson |
| 13 | Brian Harman |
| 15 | Patton Kizzire |
| 17 | Hunter Mahan |
| 18 | Brice Garnett |
| 20 | Denny McCarthy |
| 24 | Aaron Baddeley |
| 26 | Austin Cook |
| 29 | Daniel Berger |
| 32 | Andrew Putnam |
| 36 | Alex Noren |
| 37 | Hank Lebioda |
| 39 | Vaugn Taylor |
| 41 | Troy Merritt |
| 42 | Sungjae Im |
| 45 | Pat Perez |
| 46 | Ryan Armour |
| 49 | David Hearn |
| Par-3 Scoring Average | |
| Rank | Player |
| 3 | Daniel Berger |
| 3 | Cameron Percy |
| 9 | Zach Johnson |
| 9 | Mark Hubbard |
| 12 | Doug Ghim |
| 12 | Pat Perez |
| 12 | Ben Taylor |
| 12 | Satoshi Kodaira |
| 18 | Patton Kizzire |
| 18 | Bronson Burgoon |
| 18 | Scott Stallings |
| 18 | Kyle Stanley |
| 18 | Mark Anderson |
| 18 | Alex Noren |
| 26 | Russell Henley |
| 26 | Troy Merritt |
| 26 | Sungjae Im |
| 26 | Harold Varner III |
| 39 | Brice Garnet |
| 39 | Hank Lebioda |
| 39 | Brian Harman |
| 39 | Kevin Streelman |
| 39 | Andrew Putnam |
| 39 | Aaron Wise |
Horses for Courses
Top golfers over the last two Rocket Mortage Classics entered this week and other exceptions
| Player (Starts/Cuts Made) | Top 10s | Top 25 | Most Recent | Others/Notes |
| Dylan Frittelli (1/1) | 1 | 1 | Win (2019) | 22 birdies, 1 bogey on debut |
| Russell Henley (2/2) | 1 | 1 | 2 (2019) | T27 2018; Led the field with 28 birdies 2019 |
| Andrew Landry (3/3) | 1 | 2 | 3 (2019) | T8 2016 debut |
| Nick Watney (5/9) | 1 | 2 | T6 (2019) | T60, MC previous two |
| Charles Howell III (11/12) | 3 | 8 | T6 (2019) | 28-under last 2 |
| Vaughn Taylor (9/13) | 2 | 5 | T6 (2019) | 39-under last 3 |
| Adam Schenk (1/2) | 1 | 1 | T6 (2019) | Worst score in 6 rounds is 70 |
| Lucas Glover (7/11) | 1 | 4 | T10 (2019) | T25 2017 previous visit; posted 64 in each event |
| Roger Sloan (2/2) | 1 | 2 | T10 (2019) | T18 2015; 27-under combined |
| Bill Haas (3/7) | 1 | 2 | T10 (2019) | T72 2018; last 2 starts first since 2009 |
| Wes Roach (1/3) | 1 | 1 | T10 (2019) | MC, T59 |
| Michael Kim (3/4) | 1 | 1 | Win (2018) | Only top 40 |
| Sam Ryder (2/2) | 1 | 2 | T2 (2018) | T18 2019; 32-under total |
| Bronson Burgoon (3/3) | 1 | 1 | T2 (2018) | T47 2016, T47 2019 |
| Harold Varner III (2/3) | 1 | 1 | 6 (2018) | MC before; T53 after |
| Kevin Streelman (5/8) | 3 | 3 | T7 (2018) | 26 rounds 67 or better in 9 of them |
| John Huh (3/6) | 1 | 1 | T7 (2018) | T50 next best |
| Keith Mitchell (1/1) | 1 | 1 | T7 (2018) | 66 best 68 worst |
| Andres Romero (6/8) | 1 | 3 | T7 (2018) | Streak of 5 straight busted 2019 |
| Patrick Rodgers (4/7) | 1 | 2 | 2 (2017) | Last 12 rounds 5 are 66 or better |
| Daniel Berger (2/2) | 1 | 1 | T5 (2017) | Half of his eight rounds are 67 or better |
| Steve Stricker (15/17) | 8 | 9 | T5 (2017) | Win 2009, 2010 and 2011; 1 top 10 last 4 |
| Zach Johnson (15/18) | 7 | 10 | T5 (2017) | Win 2012; last top 10 2017 |
| Jonathan Byrd (11/15) | 3 | 5 | T5 (2017) | Win 2007 |
| Scott Stallings (4/8) | 1 | 4 | T5 (2017) | T16 before; T18 2019 |
| Brian Harman (5/7) | 2 | 4 | T10 (2017) | 2014 winner; T26 or better in every start |
| Ryan Moore (10/11) | 3 | 6 | Win (2016) | T7 2014, T8 2012 |
| Ben Martin (3/4) | 1 | 1 | 2 (2016) | All 3 T39 or better |
| Johnson Wagner (6/10) | 3 | 4 | T5 (2016) | T5 2015, T7 2014; T37, T16 last 2 visits |
| Kevin Na (4/7) | 1 | 2 | T8 (2016) | T13 2015 |
Glass Houses 