The John Deere Classic is up this week, and with it, a field that is wide open for the taking. With WDs from Daniel Berger, Davis Riley and even Mr. John Deere, Steve Stricker, Webb Simpson leads the field in OWGR, odds, and everything else.
Webb was able to start strong at TPC River Highlands, opening with a 64 and gaining 3.62 strokes through his ball striking. His top-15 last week was the first one since November of last season, so his ranking is more “addition by subtraction,” if that makes sense. Scott Stallings and Patrick Rodgers make it inside the top 5 this week. Stallings was almost DFL after the first round last week and then caught fire, shooting 64-68-63 to finish 8th. His record at the John Deere is also impressive, with two top-20s and a top-5 in his previous five starts. Rodgers elected to take a rest last week to get up for (in his words) one of his favorite events. Rodgers has played here as an amateur, was one of his first pro tournaments and mentioned the course really fits his game. Rodgers is one of the best at bogey avoidance, ranking fourth over the previous 24 rounds, and has three top-35s, a top-20 and a top-10 over the last month.
Sahith Theegala broke many hearts last week (including mine) when he squandered away a one-shot lead on the 72nd hole that would’ve paid out a +11000 ticket. So this is part cathartic and part analysis that we should be fading Theegala’s potential success this week. Since 2020, his finishes the following week after a top-15 are MC-MC-48-22-53.
Nate Lashley and Cam Davis are both moving up the rankings compared to their odds this week. Lashley is fantastic off the tee, gaining in five straight, and solid with his putting, ranking 27th over the previous 24 rounds. Davis also has the elite ability to gain a lot of strokes off the tee and has a top-3 and top-7 in his last six starts.
PGA TOUR Power Rankings
| RANK | GOLFER | PRE-TOURNAMENT ODDS |
|---|---|---|
| RANK | GOLFER | PRE-TOURNAMENT ODDS |
| 1 | Webb Simpson | +1200 |
| 2 | Adam Hadwin | +1000 |
| 3 | Christiaan Bezuidenhout | +2000 |
| 4 | Patrick Rodgers | +3500 |
| 5 | Scott Stallings | +3500 |
| 6 | Cam Davis | +4500 |
| 7 | Adam Schenk | +6000 |
| 8 | Denny McCarthy | +2200 |
| 9 | Adam Svensson | +6500 |
| 10 | John Huh | +4500 |
| 11 | Lucas Glover | +4000 |
| 12 | Charles Howell III | +2200 |
| 13 | Cameron Champ | +5500 |
| 14 | J.T. Poston | +5500 |
| 15 | Adam Long | +3500 |
| 16 | Maverick McNealy | +2500 |
| 17 | Nick Hardy | +4000 |
| 18 | Zach Johnson | +10000 |
| 19 | C.T. Pan | +5500 |
| 20 | Austin Smotherman | +11000 |
| 21 | Sam Ryder | +8000 |
| 22 | Dylan Frittelli | +6500 |
| 23 | Stephan Jaeger | +13000 |
| 24 | David Lipsky | +8000 |
| 25 | Christopher Gotterup | +13000 |
Odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook
Put your knowledge to the test. Sign up for DraftKings and experience the game inside the game.
All views expressed are my own. I am an employee of DraftKings and am ineligible to play in public DFS or DKSB contests.
The contents contained in this article do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups.
Place your golf bets at DraftKings Sportsbook or by downloading the DraftKings Sportsbook app.
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL/IN/MI/NJ/PA/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/NH), 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 1-877-770-STOP (7867) (LA), 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY), visit OPGR.org (OR), call/text TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN), ConnexOntario 1-866-531-2600 (ONT), or 1-888-532-3500 (VA).
21+ (18+ NH/WY; 19+ ONT). Physically present in AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/LA/MI/NH/NJ/NY/ONT/OR/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for full terms and conditions. DraftKings operates pursuant to an Operating Agreement with iGaming Ontario. Please play responsibly.