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John Deere Classic Power Rankings: Top 10 picks for TPC Deere Run

By Mike Randleman

SILVIS, IL - JULY 14: A detailed view of a tee marker on the 13th hole during the second round of the John Deere Classic at TPC Deere Run on July 14, 2017 in Silvis, Illinois. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
SILVIS, IL - JULY 14: A detailed view of a tee marker on the 13th hole during the second round of the John Deere Classic at TPC Deere Run on July 14, 2017 in Silvis, Illinois. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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John Deere Classic Power Rankings
John Deere Classic Power Rankings (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

The John Deere Classic offers one final tune-up and one final chance to qualify for next week’s Open

The PGA Tour heads to the Midwest this week for one of the more exciting tournaments, at least as far as Sunday finishes go. The John Deere Classic always lives up to the hype leading into the Open Championship.

Since 2010, there have been three playoffs and five times a winner’s won by one or two shots.

Jordan Spieth holed a bunker shot to propel him to his first PGA Tour win in 2013 and then came back to win in a playoff against underdog Tom Gillis in 2015.

Steve Stricker rolled in a putt from the fringe to stave off a playoff in 2011.

The closing par-4 18th is one of the toughest holes on the course and tends to stir up drama.

The rest of TPC Deere Run plays pretty easy: Winning score over the last decade is an average of 21-under.

While this event generally does not attract a star-studded field given its spot on the calendar prior to the Open Championship, the cream often rises to the top.

Plenty of higher tier tournaments would accept this champion list over the last decade: Steve Stricker (twice), Zach Johnson, Jordan Spieth (twice), Brian Harman, Ryan Moore and most recently Bryson DeChambeau.

TPC Deere Run is an easy course, it’s regarded as a fair test that allows the cream to rise to the top.

The parkland style course plays to 7,257 yards for a par of 71. It features bentgrass across the board.

The par-3s and par-5s play long, but the set of short par-4s play easy at about 432.5 yards per hole.

Short hitters have done well here (re: Harman, Johnson) and can get rollout in the fairways.

Some key stats include greens in regulation (any approach that finds these easy greens is a viable birdie look), birdie percentage and strokes gained tee to green.

Trouble lurks if you veer off line on this course, but if you get it in the fairway, just about every hole is a green light.

This event is part of the Open qualifying series, meaning the top finisher inside the top five who has not already qualified will earn the final spot into the field at Carnoustie.

As a Midwesterner, I’ve made a few treks to TPC Deere Run before and will have boots on the ground again this weekend.

Here’s who I expect to see contend in the Quad Cities:

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