After Thursday’s first round of the John Deere Classic, the field was looking up at Doug Ghim ($7,200; 89.5 FPTS), who shot a -9 (62) and led by one stroke. After Friday, it must’ve be Groundhog Day because Ghim was still numero uno. He didn’t blister the course again, but the -3 (68) was enough to maintain the top spot.
Ghim then shot a +3 (74) on Saturday and a -2 (69) on Sunday to finish -11 for the tournament and T31. Sunday began well with an eagle on the second hole, but he gave back a stroke with a bogey to close out the front nine. On the back nine, Ghim had another bogey with two birdies.
In the $700K Summer Sand Trap tournament, Ghim was rostered on 5.29% of teams.
DraftKings Sportsbook had Ghim as the favorite to win it all at +900 after Thursday. He was +750, the second-lowest odds, after Friday.
Davis Thompson ($9,600; 98 FPTS) was the favorite at +650 heading into the weekend.
Thompson shot a -4 (67) on Saturday then went +1 (72) on Sunday. The front nine consisted of three bogeys and a birdie. He birdied the first hole of the back nine, then added another birdie, but then bogeyed the final hole of the day.
Thompson finished the tournament -14 and T18.
Thompson was rostered on 12.48% of teams.
The most rostered golfer was Ben Griffin ($10,400; 33.5 FPTS) at 38.28%. Griffin missed the cut by two strokes.
There was only one other golfer rostered on at least 20% of teams: Denny McCarthy ($9,900; 99 FPTS) at 25.87%.
McCarthy went -5 (66) on Thursday and followed that up with a -3 (68) on Friday. He was +1800 to win it all after Thursday and +2200 heading into the weekend.
On Saturday, McCarthy shot a -1 (70) and went -6 (65) on Sunday. He birdied the first two holes of the day, then racked up another birdie and a double-bogey to close out the front nine. The back nine was sumptuous with a birdie and an eagle on the first two holes. McCarthy added two more birdies to finish the round. He finished the tournament -15 and T11.
Regulation golf wasn’t enough to crown a winner, as Brian Campbell ($6,400; 131.5 FPTS) and Emiliano Grillo ($7,500; 126.5 FPTS) both finished -18.
Campbell went -6 (65) on Thursday, -5 (66) on Friday and -3 (68) on Saturday. Sunday’s round consisted of two birdies on the front nine. The back nine started with two birdies on the first two holes. After another birdie, the only mistake was a double-bogey on Hole 15. Campbell did get a stroke back with a birdie two holes later. He finished -4 (67) for the day.
Campbell was rostered on only 0.45% of teams.
Grillo replicated Campbell by going 65, 66 and 68 the first three days of the tournament. On Sunday, he also had two birdies on the front nine. Grillo had one fewer birdie on the back nine but, instead of a double-bogey, only racked up a bogey on Hole 15. Grillo finished -4 (67).
Grillo was rostered on 11.07% of teams.
Campbell won the tournament on the first playoff hole.
