| Fantasy Advice
John Deere Classic DFS picks 2025: One of the tour's best putters will contend for his first win
The PGA Tour remains in the Midwest for the John Deere Classic, a staple on the schedule since the early 1970s. Formerly known as the “Quad Cities Open,” John Deere took over as the title sponsor in 1999, and TPC Deere Run has been the host venue since. The D.A. Weibring design features generous fairways, lush, Kentucky bluegrass rough and pure bentgrass greens. The course is a par 71 measuring just a hair over 7,200 yards on the scorecard, and it generally ranks as one of the easiest golf courses on the PGA Tour. Every year in the past decade, it has ranked between the third and 10th-easiest golf course on tour, and last year, Davis Thompson triumphed at 28-under par.
With some scattered showers in the forecast, I would expect similar soft and receptive conditions this week in Silvis, Ill. A combination of elite wedge play and putting from five to 15 feet will be required at TPC Deere Run, and I will also be looking for players who consistently raise their baseline in easy scoring conditions. Ben Griffin will look to continue his torrid stretch of play, as he attempts to record his seventh top-15 finish in a row. He will be met by an intriguing crop of challengers, including Si Woo Kim, Sungjae Im, Jason Day, and former champions, J.T. Poston and Adam Svensson.
$10,000 range
Play: Ben Griffin, $10,400:
Icon Sportswire
I never thought I would be typing these words, but Ben Griffin is far and away the best golfer in this field, and DraftKings has actually underpriced him this week. Griffin has now recorded six top-15 finishes in a row, and he has gained in both ball-striking categories in all six events. The recent Charles Schwab Challenge champion now returns to another familiar venue for him, as Griffin finished fifth at TPC Deere Run last year.
$9,000 range
Play: Denny McCarthy, $9,900:
Denny McCarthy boasts some remarkable history at TPC Deere Run with three top-10 finishes in his last three appearances. TPC Deere Run heavily accentuates wedge play and putting, which plays right into McCarthy’s skill-set, and this is the ideal venue for one of the best putters on tour to break through with his first career PGA Tour victory.
Fade: Sungjae Im, $9,200:
Richard Heathcote
Sungjae Im’s development into one of the worst approach players on tour has been completely inexplicable and confusing. Im has now lost over three strokes on approach in four straight events, and it appears to be getting worse before it gets better. On a golf course where elite wedge play is typically part of the formula, I don’t trust Im to create enough scoring opportunities for himself.
$8,000 range
Play: Kevin Yu, $8,800:
Icon Sportswire
Kevin Yu has been quietly playing some great golf, and he now returns to a course where he has recorded top-20 finishes in both appearances. Yu is one of the better wedge players and overall drivers of the ball in this field, and he has actually found some success putting on these greens in the past, which is generally his greatest weakness.
Fade: Samuel Stevens, $8,300:
Sam Stevens has played some solid golf this season, but I’m not in love with his course fit at TPC Deere Run. Stevens packs a hefty punch off the tee, but his wedge play leaves a lot to be desired. Stevens lost over two strokes on approach and four strokes putting in his last start, and those two aspects of his game will need a serious improvement for him to keep pace at TPC Deere Run.
$7,000 range
Play: Mark Hubbard, $7,700:
Gregory Shamus
Mark Hubbard is coming off contending last week in Detroit, where he gained over a stroke in all four major categories. Hubbard’s accuracy off the tee and rock solid wedge play should pay dividends at TPC Deere Run as well, a course that he has already recorded four top-25 finishes at.
Fade: Stephan Jaeger, $7,700:
Stephan Jaeger has had an extremely up-and-down season where he has struggled to find any form of consistency with his ball-striking. Jaeger lost over a stroke in both ball-striking categories en route to a missed cut at Detroit Golf Club, and I have little confidence that he can turn it around at TPC Deere Run.
Flier: Lee Hodges, $7,300:
Icon Sportswire
Lee Hodges is coming off a 34th at the Rocket Mortgage where he gained over a stroke in both ball-striking categories, and his accuracy off the tee and elite wedge play will be a major strength again at TPC Deere Run. Hodges has shown an affinity for bentgrass greens and easy scoring conditions with a victory at the 3M Open, and I’m expecting another strong performance in the Quad Cities.
$6,000 range
Play: Adam Svensson, $6,700:
Minas Panagiotakis
Adam Svensson already boasts some strong course history at TPC Deere Run, with three top-25 finishes in four appearances at this event. While his play this year has been erratic at best, there have been some recent signs of life, as the Canadian just gained over three strokes on approach in his latest appearance at the Rocket Classic.
Andy Lack is a PGA Tour writer and podcaster from New York City who now resides in Los Angeles. Andy is the founder and CEO of Inside Sports Network, a website devoted to the predictive quality of advanced analytics and golf course architecture. He came to Golf Digest’s betting panel after previously writing for Run Pure Sports, RickRunGood.com, the Score and GolfWRX. In his free time, Andy can likely be found on a golf course. Follow him on Twitter: @adplacksports