John Deere Classic Betting Tips
The PGA Tour heads to Silvis, Illinois this week where pars feel like dropped shots and birdies need to flow freely for anyone who wants a shot at glory at the John Deere Classic.
TPC Deere Run is set up as it always is, with fairways and greens that are easy to find.
Whoever can attack the flags best or have the hottest of weeks with the putter is going to be a contender on a course where Davis Thompson won at 28 under par 12 months ago.
Ben Griffin, who is up to 17th in the world and in a rich seam of form, is the highest-ranked player in the field and 14/1 favourite in a tournament where he came fifth on his debut a year ago.
Tip 1 – Sami Valimaki each way @ 80/1
Go low or go home is the mantra for TPC Deere Run – and players who have shot low before at the John Deere need consideration.
There have been a pair of 59s shot at the course where Davis Thompson's worst round last year was a day-two 67 en route to a four-stroke win.
Sami Valimaki certainly enjoyed his first look at the Silvis layout, carding 61 on day one on his way to a T12 finish.
The Finn's form in 2025 has been a colourful mix of missed cuts and near-things with top 10 finishes recorded at Houston and Myrtle Beach and, encouragingly, a T19 at last week's Rocket Classic in Detroit.
Valimaki ranks in the top 30 in shots gained approaching the green and, critically, eighth in shots gained putting.
You have to putt well at Deere Run to have any sort of a chance and Valimaki can outrun his eye-catching 80/1 price.
Tip 2 – Christiaan Bezuidenhout each way @ 60/1
If shots gained putting is your stat of choice – and it's a pretty useful one given 20 under or better has won this in 12 of the last 15 runnings – then Christiaan Bezuidenhout should enter the frame.
He is 12th on that metric on tour this year and was third in putting when he was the runner-up there on his first start in 2022.
The South African had gone cold after a fourth place in Phoenix but he battled to a 12th-placed finish at the US Open and after a sluggish start at the Travelers two weeks ago, he carded 69 and 66 over the weekend to show his game is in a good spot.
Bezuidenhout was first for shots gained on the greens at TPC River Highlands and that represents a major advantage this week.
Tip 3 – Lucas Glover to win Group C @ 7/2
Scanning the Group Winner markets, Lucas Glover is tempting at 7/2 to win his section.
Denny McCarthy, Sungjae Im, Chris Kirk and Michael Kim are his Group C opponents with Kim and Glover being previous winners.
Glover lifted the trophy in 2021 and boasts three top 10 finishes in his last five visits.
Ninth at River Highlands with four rounds in the 60s, the 45-year-old remains a fierce competitor who can clearly shoot the lights out when in the mood on greens that he loves.
Odds correct at time of publication but subject to fluctuation