TPC Deere Run (par 71, 7,289 yards, bentgrass greens) in Silvis, Illinois, has been the home of the John Deere Classic since 2000. Brian Campbell (-18) won this event last season by defeating Emiliano Grillo in a playoff. This week’s field consists of 144 golfers and there will be a top-65 and ties cut after the first two rounds.
Below, I have featured my two favorite bets for the John Deere Classic on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Tom Kim to win (+3500)
Kim has three PGA TOUR wins on his resume and he looks ready to rejoin the winner’s circle very soon, maybe as soon as this week. Kim has only missed one cut in 14 solo starts this season and his game is trending up right now. In his last two starts, Kim has finished T-15 at the RBC Canadian Open and solo third at the U.S. Open. This major was played at the grueling Shinnecock Hills and Kim impressed in the second round with a 3-under 67. Moreover, he gained strokes in every major category for the first time in over a year.
When we compare this field’s last 24 rounds, Kim ranks fourth in total strokes gained and first in SG APP. His irons have been magnificent and he is a real threat to win when his putter complies, as we saw at Shinnecock. Kim now heads to TPC Deere Run, where he missed the cut in his debut last year. That being said, his form then doesn’t even compare to his form now, as he was coming off a missed cut before last year’s John Deere Classic. Plus, Kim checks many boxes for TPC Deere Run.
As just mentioned, Kim ranks first in SG APP over his last 24 rounds, which is a terrific sign for TPC Deere Run, as three of the last five winners here have finished the week top-10 in SG APP. TPC Deere Run also features bentgrass greens and Kim is a two-time winner at TPC Summerlin, which is another TPC course that presents bentgrass putting surfaces.
Kim’s +3500 odds are just too long for him and these odds are long compared to other major sportsbooks, making him a must-bet at this price on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Doug Ghim for a top-10 finish following the first round including ties (+415)
Ghim is on the heels of a T-15 finish at the RBC Canadian Open, which is his sixth straight finish of T-31 or better. Ghim has only shot over par once in his last 16 rounds and he ranks first in SGT2G when we compare this field’s last 24 rounds.
Ghim has notably sat inside the top-10 following the first round at back-to-back events and he ranks fifth on the PGA TOUR in first round scoring this season. Ghim now heads to TPC Deere Run, where he has finished inside the top-35 in 3-of-5 starts. At this track a year ago, Ghim shot a 9-under 62 on Thursday, putting him atop the leaderboard following the first round.
Ghim has been sitting inside the top-10 after the first round in two of his starts at TPC Deere Run and him getting off to hot start at this course again definitely could happen.
