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John Deere Classic: Dark Horse Candidates in Illinois

By Christopher O'Day

GREENSBORO, NC - AUGUST 17: Nick Taylor of Canada reacts following a putt on the ninth green during the second round of the Wyndham Championship at Sedgefield Country Club on August 17, 2018 in Greensboro, North Carolina. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
GREENSBORO, NC - AUGUST 17: Nick Taylor of Canada reacts following a putt on the ninth green during the second round of the Wyndham Championship at Sedgefield Country Club on August 17, 2018 in Greensboro, North Carolina. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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HAMILTON, ONTARIO – JUNE 09: Jonathan Byrd of the United States plays his shot from the fourth tee during the final round of the RBC Canadian Open at Hamilton Golf and Country Club on June 09, 2019 in Hamilton, Canada. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)
HAMILTON, ONTARIO – JUNE 09: Jonathan Byrd of the United States plays his shot from the fourth tee during the final round of the RBC Canadian Open at Hamilton Golf and Country Club on June 09, 2019 in Hamilton, Canada. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) /

Jonathan Byrd – 100/1

Byrd isn’t the player that he used to be back in his early 30’s. People may forget that he is a five-time winner on tour, although the last one came back in 2011. Lucky for Byrd, he comes into the John Deere having played well in his most recent event, as well as having former success at the John Deere.

He most recently played in the RBC Canadian Open, where he finished T-14th. A fantastic third round was offset by a pedestrian second and fourth round, where he shot 71-64-70 over the final three rounds.

Back in 2017, Byrd made a strong charge at winning the event, finishing three shots behind Bryson DeChambeau. A 70 in round one was a little too much for him to overcome, although he did shoot 65-67-67 over the final three rounds to finish T-5th.

The question surrounding Byrd for this week is going to be his play off the tee. He is one of the worst players in the PGA here, ranking 193rd and losing .615 SG. If he can keep up a little bit better with the rest of the field, his strong short game should be a big help. Byrd ranks 32nd around the green, and that could be the area of his game that gets him back into the top 5 just like 2017.

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