The Course Report
TPC Deere Run
About TPC Deere Run
Another birdie making course where we should see a winner who could go beyond -20 under par. In fact, in the last 10 tournaments played at TPC Deere Run, we have only seen a winner with a score that hasn’t hit -20 or better only twice. For those of you that did not enjoy how easy Detroit Golf Club was then it is time to turn your eyes towards the Scottish Open.
This is a second shot course and is going to reward those who are precise or just simply on fire with their putter. When comparing TPC Deere Run to Detroit Golf Club, the only major difference we are going to see is they type of grass on the greens, and the architect of the course itself. Many of the other factors are similar.
Now there are some key trends to identify. Four of the last six winners at the John Deere Classic have been first time winners on tour. This is a common trend that we see at easy courses any year on the PGA Tour. While we have seen elite golfers win this event, the difficulty of this course tailors itself to the idea that anyone can win. Another trend is that we never really know what green speeds we are going to see this weekend. The tournament itself loves diversifying green speeds from year to year. Finally, all cut makers tend to be above 70% in both driving accuracy and GIR percentage. This isn’t to say that fairway accuracy is a must, but it certainly does make your approach shots a lot easier.
If you didn’t like the Rocket Mortgage Classic, then you aren’t going to enjoy the John Deere Classic. Still, there is opportunity here to diversify your lineups in DFS and take advantage of long odds at the book.
The last key is really getting your wedge shots close to the pin. This is going to be a scoring paradise. Now the cool thing about this touranment is that it is a qualifier for the Open. So if the winner hasn’t qualified…to the UK they go.
Architect: D.A. Weibring
Greens: Bentgrass
Green Size: 6,000 sq. ft.
Stimpmeter: 11-12+, average to fast as we’ve seen it all here
Length: 7,268 Yards – Par 71
Water Hazards: 4
Bunkers: 78
Weather Forecast
Approach Shot Distribution
Past Winners
Frittelli won his first PGA Tour event by shooting a -21 atTPC Deere Run. He outleasted Russell Henley in the final round who shot a solid 61 for sole posession of 2nd place.
There were plenty of players in this field that were looking for their last shot to head to Northern Ireland to compete in The Open Championship.
This was Michael Kim’s weekend, and that might be an understatement. Kim was lights out as he bested the field by 8 strokes by shooting -27.
Kim was in second after round 1, but never looked back after posting a solid 64 in round 2. The highest round Kim posted that weekend was on Sunday when he shot a 66.
He wasn’t as beefed up as he is now, but DeCahmbeau could still win. He dominated on Sunday by shooting 65, and did just enough to beat Patrick Rodgers for the victory.
The win was thanks to a dominant back 9 which led to 3 pars and 6 birdies.
This was a 2-shot win for Ryan Moore as his -22 was good enough to beat the likes of Ben Martin, Meen Whee Kim, Morgan Hoffmann and Ricky Barnes.
The point being, this tournament was lacking star. This is what you get prior to the Open Championship as a wide open field of minimal talent left the tournament open for who ever had the best overall game.
A 12-foot par putt on the 18th holes was enough to outlast Jerry Kelly by a shot.
Knox finished the tournament -14, in spite of the fact that Daniel Berger was a 54-hole leader and Jim Furyk shot a 58, the first in PGA TOUR history.
Streelman closed out the final round with 7 straight birdies, which highlighted his back 9 score of 28.
This was Streelman’s second win on the PGA TOUR, and it was well earned. There were plenty of scorers who had the opportunity to win, and none closer than Sergio Garcia. When it was all finsihed, Streelman was the victor.
Sunday began with Bubba Watson, Charley Hoffman and Graham DeLaet tied for the lead at -10. That would all change by the start of the afternoon.
Ken Duke and Chris Stroud fought tooth and nail for first place, and Stroud even chipped in a birdie on 18 to force a playoff. Duke’s birdie on playoff hole 2 secured the win.
Leishman was dialed in on Sunday as the Aussie shot a bogey-free 62 in the final round to win the tournament by one stroke.
Entering Sunday, Leishamn was 6-storkes behind the leader, but played well enough to get his first win on the PGA TOUR.