John Deere Classic 2023 – Event Overview
The John Deere Classic 2023 returns to Illinois this year, bringing with it a diverse field of players, each vying for the coveted title. This tournament, held at the picturesque TPC Deere Run, has a reputation for being a launchpad for first-time PGA Tour winners. In fact, 5 of the last 11 winners, including JT Poston in 2022, have claimed their maiden PGA Tour victories here.
TPC Deere Run, designed by Illinois native and former PGA pro D.A. Weibring, is nestled along the Rock River and has been the proud host of this PGA TOUR event since 2000. The course’s natural contours are complemented by small ponds and deep ravines. However, these features pose little risk, allowing players to focus on their game rather than the hazards. The course is devoid of residences, offering a serene landscape, dramatic elevation changes, and hardwood trees.
The course is visually appealing yet not overly challenging, especially for a player at the top of their game. This is evident from the winning scores over the past years, which have consistently been under par. This year, we anticipate a similar trend, with the winning score likely to be better than 20 under par.
However, the TPC Deere Run course requires strategic planning. It’s not all plain sailing. Players will need to make plenty of birdies, particularly from the fairways. Those who play the majority of shots from the short grass will have an advantage. The main challenge at TPC Deere Run comes from the rough, making hitting greens from the rough one of the course’s primary defenses.
The 2023 field is packed with talent, including some of the world’s top-ranked players. For instance, Cam Young, currently ranked 19th in the world, is expected to put on a strong performance and will see this week’s field as an opportunity to claim his maiden PGA Tour win.
Stay tuned for an exciting tournament filled with exceptional golf and potential surprises.
John Deere Classic 2023 – Event & Course Details
| Course: | TPC Deere Run |
| Location: | Silvis, IL |
| Date: | July 6-9 2023 |
| Par: | 71 |
| Yardage: | 7,268 |
| Purse: | — |
| Fairways/Rough: | Bentgrass / Kentucky Bluegrass |
| Greens: | Bentgrass |
| Defending Champion: | JT Poston 2022 |
Key Skill Sets Required
01. SG T2G
With a super-low winning score, expect T2G performance to be critical as it is most weeks on the PGA Tour. Players will need to be gaining strokes over their competitors to have any chance of lifting the trophy come Sunday.
02. Fairways Gained/Good Drives Gained
This course poses very few challenges to the world’s best players by PGA Tour standards. However, one statical area stands out: the difficulty of approach play when missing the fairways. TPC Deere Run is one of the most challenging courses on tour for approach play from the rough. Hitting fairways and plenty of them is a distinct advantage. Look for players who excel when it comes to driving the ball.
03. Par 4 Scoring
Quite simply, to win this event, you must make lots of birdies, and you must dominate the Par 4’s. Players who contend here take advantage of one of the most straightforward courses on the tour regarding Par 4 scoring.
04. Birdies or Better
The data tells us you need to make plenty of birdies here at TPC Deere Run, at least 6 per round or over 24 from the four days of play. A birdie every three holes is some ask, but that is the requirement to challenge. Let’s look for those aggressive golfers who look to attack the pins and have the ability to get up and down when naturally they miss a green or two.
05. SG Putting
Typically, putting is a critical factor in these low-scoring events. You must be rolling your rock good over all four days to have any chance of taking home the trophy. Look for players who excel on the Bentgrass putting surfaces the players face this week.
Best Outsider to consider
01. Doug Ghim 60/1
- Some good finishes of late with 3 top 20 finishes in his last 4 events.
- An elite-level iron player who is dialed in right now T2G
- He ranks in the top 20 for SG T2G and Approach play over the past 24 rounds on tour.
- His achilles heel the flatsticks seems to be working just fine right now, gaining strokes in each of his last 2 events.
- A big week ahead for the former number 1 mature in the world.
Top 20
- Adam Schenk
- Alex Smalley
John Deere Classic 2023 – Best Outright Picks
01. Adam Schenk
- 2 top 10s at this event previously, show his liking for the track
- Arrives on the back of a top 10 at the Rocket Mortgage Classic last week, where he ranked in the top 10 for GIR gained & SG T2G
- Gained Strokes with Approach play in each of his last 7 events.
- 4th most Birdies over the last 24 rounds
- On a course that suits, arriving in solid form, expect a big push from Adam Schenk.
02. Chris Kirk
- Arrives on the back of a Top 20 last week.
- He drove the ball beautifully ranking in the top 10 for Driving Accuracy on the week, a key factor this week.
- He ranked 6 in GIR gained last week showing his own play is on song right now.
- A winner already this year who may be overlooked by the market after a run of mix cuts around the PGA Championship and open championship. Neither of which events was to his liking.
- The low scoring test is right-up history, and I feel a victory in an event like this is well within reach.
03. Alex Smalley
- A top 20 finish at this event previously.
- This course should suit his game with an emphasis on driving accuracy and elite-level iron play with the ability to go low.
- He is gaining strokes with his approach play in each of his last 7 events.
- He has been extremely accurate off the tea of recent times, hitting around 15% more fairways than his peers on Average.
- We know there is a premium on playing from the shortgrass this week.
