2024 John Deere Classic: Top 10 power rankings at TPC Deere Run

Upon glancing at the field list, I thought it was a typo.

No, really, Patrick Cantlay is playing the John Deere Classic.

It’s rare for top-10 players to tee it up at TPC Deere Run, especially when their surnames aren’t Johnson or Stricker. This will be Cantlay’s first sojourn to Silvis.

Cantlay grew up far from the Midwest and is known for playing a fairly limited schedule. Back issues early in his career played a part in his stinginess to playing non-big-name events.

The 32-year-old comes to Silvis after a week off following a T-5th at the Travelers Championship. The week prior, Cantlay put forth his best career major championship effort, taking T-3rd at the U.S. Open. He had finished T-3rd at a major before, but this time Cantlay was actually in the throes of contention.

“I played well,” Cantlay was transcribed by ASAP Sports at Pinehurst. “Looking forward to having more opportunities. This is exactly why I play. It was good to be in contention. Obviously I would have liked to get the job done. Just a bit short this time.”

Cantlay has four top-fives this season. He’s missed just one cut since July 2023. In that time frame, the Californian has finished in the top 40 13 of 18 times.

He’s 29th on the PGA Tour in Strokes Gained: Total (.739). The former UCLA Bruin is gaining strokes in every category, including Around-the-Green where he’s 35th (.242).

Cantlay is also 16th in birdie average (4.19). He’s plenty capable of keeping up in a birdie fest this week.