The PGA Tour rolls on this weekend as we head to TPC Deere Run for the 2025 edition of the John Deere Classic. With The Open Championship just a few weeks away, many of the world’s top players have already made their way to Europe to begin preparations and this provides a great opportunity for emerging talent to shine—and for bettors to find value. We look at this week’s tournament from a betting perspective and select 4 players to take on the bookmakers.
The Course
TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Illinois, will once again host this week’s tournament. The par-72 parkland layout stretches just under 7,300 yards (approximately 6,675 metres) and is known for its tree-lined fairways, rolling terrain, and dense wooded areas that punish wayward shots. Designed by former PGA Tour professional D.A. Weibring, the course blends natural beauty with a challenging yet scoreable setup.
The John Deere Classic is traditionally a birdie-fest, and TPC Deere Run consistently yields some of the lowest winning scores on Tour. The average winning total over the past decade sits around 262.7 (roughly 21.3 under par), highlighting just how many red numbers can be expected across the leaderboard.
Market Leaders
With only three of the world’s top 30 golfers in the field, this week’s John Deere Classic is wide open and presents plenty of opportunities for breakthrough performances. Ben Griffin heads the betting as the favourite at 17.00 in what has been a breakout year for him, while both Jason Day and Denny McCarthy follow closely, trading at 26.00.
As the betting suggests this tournament is wide open.
Betting – Click here to bet
Ben Griffin 17.00
Jason Day 26.00
Denny McCarthy 26.00
Michael Thorbjornsen 31.00
J.T. Poston 31.00
Si Woo Kim 34.00
Davis Thompson 34.00
Previous winners
2024 Davis Thompson (United States) -28 (4 strokes)
2023 Sepp Straka (Austria) −21 (2 strokes)
2022 J.T. Poston (United States) −21 (3 strokes)
2021 Lucas Glover (United States) −19 (2 strokes)
2020 Cancelled due to Covid
Selections:
Ben Griffin at 17.00
We’re backing Ben Griffin once again this week as he continues his outstanding run of form. He finished 13th last weekend, marking his sixth consecutive top-15 finish—a model of consistency. He now returns to TPC Deere Run, where he placed fifth last year despite not being in nearly as strong form as he is now.
Given the weakened field, this looks like the ideal opportunity for Griffin to claim another PGA Tour victory in 2025.
Suggested bet: Each way at 17.00.
Aldrich Potgieter at 36.00
The young South African arrives at TPC Deere Run riding high after a brilliant maiden PGA Tour victory, having battled through a five-hole playoff to win the Rocket Mortgage Classic. While this will be his debut appearance at the John Deere Classic, it’s a tournament where South Africans have historically fared well—Dylan Frittelli, for instance, claimed the title in 2019.
With confidence and momentum on his side, he looks well-positioned to make another strong push this week.
Suggested bet: Each way at 36.00.
Chris Kirk at 36.00
Kirk is coming off a strong yet ultimately disappointing showing at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, where he battled his way into a five-man playoff but fell just short, losing to the young South African. That result followed a solid 12th-place finish the week before, so he’s clearly trending in the right direction.
With form on his side and confidence building, he’ll arrive at TPC Deere Run with one goal in mind—going one better and securing the win.
Suggested bet: Each way at 36.00.
Zach Johnson at 176.00
Stakes will be small on this one and the price is certainly understandable given Johnsons current form which is poor. He enjoys the course though and in 10 years has finishes ranging from 2nd to 60th with no missed cuts.
I mentioned that this could be a chance for youngsters to make their name but at the same time the absence of the top players gives older players the chance to reignite their career.
Suggested bet: Each way at 176.00 and a bigger play on a top 20 at 6.00
Click here for betting on all of the John Deere Classic 2025 markets
Note: All prices are correct at the time of writing but are subject to change.
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