John Deere Classic 2026 Betting Tips: Five against the field in Illinois

The best players in the world will all descend upon the UK in the coming weeks, where The Renaissance Club will again host the Scottish Open before the major season draws to a close in Southport, with The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale. However, attention this week remains stateside, as the PGA Tour heads to TPC Deere Run for the John Deere Classic.

Our golf tipster Jamie Worsley is back with five more each-way picks this week and looking to go back-to-back after tipping up Viktor Hovland last week, so let's check out his John Deere Classic 2026 Betting Tips here at Betfred Insights...

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TOURNAMENT HISTORY

The John Deere Classic – formerly the Quad Cities Open – was first held in 1971 and has been played exclusively at TPC Deere Run since 2000.

The man who designed the host course, D.A. Weibring, is one of two players to win this event three times, recording victories in 1979, 1991 and 1995. Only Steve Stricker has matched this tally, winning three in a row from 2009 to 2011.

Those two are closely followed by a quartet of two-time winners: Deane Beman (1971, 1972), Scott Hoch (1980, 1984), David Frost (1992, 1993) and, most recently, Jordan Spieth (2013, 2015).

Last five winners:

• 2025

Winner: Brian Campbell (-18, playoff)

Runner-up: Emiliano Grillo (-18)

• 2024

Winner: Davis Thompson (-28)

Runners-up: Luke Clanton, C.T. Pan, Michael Thorbjornsen (-24)

• 2023

Winner: Sepp Straka (-21)

Runners-up: Alex Smalley, Brendon Todd (-19)

• 2022

Winner: J.T. Poston (-21)

Runners-up: Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Emiliano Grillo (-18)

• 2021

Winner: Lucas Glover (-19)

Runners-up: Ryan Moore, Kevin Na (-17)

Brian Campbell beat Argentina’s Emiliano Grillo in a playoff at TPC Deere Run 12 months ago, completing a remarkable PGA Tour double after winning the Mexico Open earlier in the year. He returns to defend this week.

THE COURSE

TPC Deere Run

• Original architect / Year opened: A. Weibring / 2000
• Latest renovation: PGA Tour Design Service renovated the layout in 2021 – with input from Weibring – with all bunkers rebuilt and some fairways tightened
• Par / Yardage: Par 71 / 7,327 yards (38 yards longer than 2025)
• Hole breakdown:
  • 4x par 3s (158-226 yards)
  • 11x par 4s (361-503 yards)
  • 3x par 5s (561-596 yards)
• Course style: A hilly, tree-lined parkland featuring moderate elevation changes throughout
• Fairways:
  • The doglegged, sloping fairways are generous, ranking among the simplest to find on the PGA Tour
  • Thick fescue/bluegrass rough can prove challenging to play from alongside strategic bunkering
  • Despite this, it remains one of the most straightforward driving tests on tour
• Greens:
  • The small (5,500 sq. ft.) bentgrass greens are usually receptive and easy to find
  • They’re subtly undulating and with many pin positions accessible, the demands in approach and putting aren’t especially difficult
  • That said, the combination of rough, deep greenside bunkers and tightly-mown chipping areas does provide ample protection for these elevated putting surfaces
• Defences: With water in-play on just three holes, there is little around this course to worry the players. It’s those penal greenside surrounds that are typically the most taxing aspect of the setup
• Average winning score: -21.5 (last 10 editions)

TPC Deere Run is a venue littered with birdie chances but lacking in severe punishment, often resulting in one of the lowest-scoring events of the year. Each of the par 5s is reachable in two, whilst the majority of the par 4s can be attacked with a solid drive and a wedge.

Unless some adverse weather arrives, we can expect to see a birdie-fest in Illinois.

THE WEATHER

This week’s field will be met by hot (32/33°C each day) and humid conditions, with thunderstorms a lingering threat. A mild breeze of 8-9mph, gusting at upwards of 15mph, shouldn’t cause too many problems, meaning there’s little in the forecast to suggest anything but another low-scoring contest.

KEY STATS

SG: Approach / Greens-in-Regulation (GIR) / Proximity from 100-150 yards

As with most birdie-heavy events, quality iron play is often key here. Success hinges on the wedges/short irons, with approaches between 100-150 yards commonplace.

• 2025
  • Brian Campbell (Winner): 8^th in SG: Approach / 5^th in GIR
  • Emiliano Grillo (2^nd): 8^th in GIR
  • Kurt Kitayama (5^th): 7^th in SG: Approach / 11^th in GIR
  • Lucas Glover (5^th): 9^th in SG: Approach / 5^th in GIR
  • Max Homa (5^th): 15^th in SG: Approach / 3^rd in GIR
  • Carson Young (5^th): 16^th in SG: Approach / 2^nd in GIR
• 2024
  • Davis Thompson (Winner): 10^th in GIR
  • Luke Clanton (2^nd): 2^nd in SG: Approach / 12^th in GIR
  • Michael Thorbjornsen (2^nd): 14^th in SG: Approach
  • T. Pan (2^nd): 14^th in GIR
  • Carson Young (5^th): 6^th in SG: Approach / 1^st in GIR
• 2023
  • Sepp Straka (Winner): 18^th in SG: Approach / 1^st in GIR
  • Alex Smalley (2^nd): 1^st in SG: Approach / 8^th in GIR
  • Adam Schenk (4^th): 6^th in SG: Approach
  • Ludvig Aberg (4^th): 12^th in SG: Approach / 11^th in GIR
• 2022
  • T. Poston (Winner): 10^th in SG: Approach / 4^th in GIR
  • Emiliano Grillo (2^nd): 1^st in GIR
  • Christiaan Bezuidenhout (2^nd): 3^rd in GIR
  • Chris Gotterup (4^th): 2^nd in SG: Approach
  • Denny McCarthy (6^th): 6^th in SG: Approach / 6^th in GIR
• 2021
  • Lucas Glover (Winner): 3^rd in SG: Approach / 15^th in GIR
  • Ryan Moore (2^nd): 15^th in SG: Approach / 6^th in GIR
  • Sebastian Munoz (4^th): 1^st in SG: Approach

SG: Putting (bentgrass)

If a player isn’t quite on point with their irons, they’re going to have to be rolling it well on these bentgrass greens.

• 2025
  • Brian Campbell (Winner): 6^th in SG: Putting
  • Emiliano Grillo (2^nd): 9^th in SG: Putting
  • David Lipsky (3^rd): 5^th in SG: Putting
  • Matt Kuchar (5^th): 12^th in SG: Putting
• 2024
  • Davis Thompson (Winner): 5^th in SG: Putting
  • Ben Griffin (5^th): 4^th in SG: Putting
  • Carson Young (5^th): 10^th in SG: Putting
• 2023
  • Sepp Straka (Winner): 4^th in SG: Putting
  • Brendon Todd (2^nd): 3^rd in SG: Putting
  • Adam Schenk (4^th): 7^th in SG: Putting
  • Kevin Yu (6^th): 1^st in SG: Putting
  • T. Poston (6^th): 2^nd in SG: Putting
  • Denny McCarthy (6^th): 6^th in SG: Putting
  • Mark Hubbard (6^th): 8^th in SG: Putting
• 2022
  • Christiaan Bezuidenhout (2^nd): 3^rd in SG: Putting
• 2021
  • Kevin Na (2^nd): 4^th in SG: Putting
  • Ryan Moore (2^nd): 11^th in SG: Putting
  • Scott Brown (4^th): 1^st in SG: Putting
  • Adam Schenk (4^th): 2^nd in SG: Putting

Birdie-or-Better %

This tournament suits aggressive birdie-makers, meaning those who rank highly in birdie-or-better % are of obvious interest.

CORRELATING EVENTS (COURSES)

Travelers Championship (TPC River Highlands)

TPC River Highlands is a similarly hilly, tree-lined course featuring frequent elevation changes, wide fairways, and small bentgrass greens. With a strong wedge/short iron game also a major plus there, it’s a standout comp for TPC Deere Run.

Notable correlating form:

• Jordan Spieth: John Deere (1^st, 1^st) / Travelers (1^st)
• Kenny Perry: John Deere (1^st) / Travelers (1^st)
• Ryan Moore: John Deere (1^st, 2^nd) / Travelers (2^nd, 2^nd)
• Brian Harman: John Deere (1^st) / Travelers (2^nd, 3^rd, 5^th)
• T. Poston: John Deere (1^st) / Travelers (2^nd)
• Russell Henley: John Deere (2^nd) / Travelers (2^nd)
• Patrick Rodgers: John Deere (2^nd) / Travelers (3^rd)
• Michael Thorbjornsen: John Deere (2^nd) / Travelers (4^th)
• Jerry Kelly: John Deere (3^rd, 4^th) / Travelers (2^nd)
• Danny Lee: John Deere (3^rd) / Travelers (3^rd)
• Chris Stroud: John Deere (4^th, 5^th) / Travelers (2^nd)
• Collin Morikawa: John Deere (4^th) / Travelers (3^rd)
• Scott Stallings: John Deere (4^th, 5^th) / Travelers (6^th, 8^th)
• Chez Reavie: John Deere (5^th) / Travelers (1^st)
• Daniel Berger: John Deere (5^th) / Travelers (2^nd, 5^th)
• Kevin Streelman: John Deere (7^th, 8^th, 8^th) / Travelers (1^st)

3M Open (TPC Twin Cities)

Closely matched in most areas, particularly the challenges posed on and around its bentgrass greens, TPC Twin Cities could prove a helpful guide this week.

Notable correlating form:

• T. Poston: John Deere (1^st) / 3M Open (2^nd)
• Emiliano Grillo: John Deere (2^nd, 2^nd) / 3M Open (2^nd, 3^rd)
• Sam Ryder: John Deere (2^nd) / 3M Open (7^th)
• Jhonattan Vegas: John Deere (3^rd) / 3M Open (1^st, 2^nd)
• David Lipsky: John Deere (3^rd) / 3M Open (3^rd)
• Collin Morikawa: John Deere (4^th) / 3M Open (2^nd)
• Kurt Kitayama: John Deere (5^th) / 3M Open (1^st)
• Matt Kuchar: John Deere (5^th) / 3M Open (3^rd)
• Keith Mitchell: John Deere (7^th) / 3M Open (5^th, 5^th)

Rocket Classic (Detroit Golf Club)

Comparing favourably in driving accuracy and GIR percentages, as well as all-round driving and approach difficulty, Detroit Golf Club possesses strikingly similar ball-striking numbers to TPC Deere Run. As a tree-lined parkland with small bentgrass/poa greens and home to regular birdie-fests, it’s well worth considering players who have form at this venue.

Notable correlating form:

• Bryson DeChambeau: John Deere (1^st) / Rocket Classic (1^st)
• Davis Thompson: John Deere (1^st) / Rocket Classic (2^nd)
• Lucas Glover: John Deere (1^st) / Rocket Classic (4^th)
• Sepp Straka: John Deere (1^st) / Rocket Classic (8^th)
• Michael Thorbjornsen: John Deere (2^nd) / Rocket Classic (4^th)
• Kevin Roy: John Deere (3^rd) / Rocket Classic (8^th)
• Collin Morikawa: John Deere (4^th) / Rocket Classic (2^nd)
• Cameron Young: John Deere (6^th) / Rocket Classic (2^nd, 6^th)
• Hank Lebioda: John Deere (8^th) / Rocket Classic (4^th)
• Cameron Tringale: John Deere (9^th) / Rocket Classic (5^th)

Wyndham Championship (Sedgefield Country Club)

Sedgefield Country Club is another rolling, tree-lined layout littered with birdie chances, which can be unlocked by high-class short-iron play.

Notable correlating form:

• Lucas Glover: John Deere (1^st) / Wyndham (1^st)
• T. Poston: John Deere (1^st) / Wyndham (1^st)
• Ryan Moore: John Deere (1^st, 2^nd) / Wyndham (1^st)
• Jordan Spieth: John Deere (1^st, 1^st) / Wyndham (2^nd)
• Brian Harman: John Deere (1^st) / Wyndham (3^rd)
• Michael Kim: John Deere (1^st) / Wyndham (5^th)
• Kevin Na: John Deere (2^nd) / Wyndham (2^nd, 4^th)
• Russell Henley: John Deere (2^nd) / Wyndham (2^nd, 5^th)
• T. Pan: John Deere (2^nd) / Wyndham (2^nd)
• Luke Clanton: John Deere (2^nd) / Wyndham (5^th)
• David Hearn: John Deere (2^nd) / Wyndham (8^th)
• Scott Brown: John Deere (4^th, 5^th) / Wyndham (3^rd)
• Ben Griffin: John Deere (5^th) / Wyndham (4^th, 7^th)
• Mark Hubbard: John Deere (6^th) / Wyndham (3^rd)

CJ CUP Byron Nelson (TPC Craig Ranch)

Last up is TPC Craig Ranch, stage of one of the lowest-scoring events on tour. This parkland course showcases a simple ball-striking test and ranks closely to TPC Deere Run in putting difficulty on its bentgrass surfaces.

Notable correlating form:

• Jordan Spieth: John Deere (1^st, 1^st) / Byron Nelson (2^nd, 4^th)
• T. Pan: John Deere (2^nd) / Byron Nelson (4^th)
• Sebastian Munoz: John Deere (4^th) / Byron Nelson (3^rd)
• Scott Stallings: John Deere (4^th, 5^th) / Byron Nelson (3^rd)
• Adam Schenk: John Deere (4^th, 4^th) / Byron Nelson (5^th)
• Daniel Berger: John Deere (5^th) / Byron Nelson (3^rd)
• Kurt Kitayama: John Deere (5^th) / Byron Nelson (5^th)
• Mark Hubbard: John Deere (6^th) / Byron Nelson (5^th)

THE FIELD

World No. 14 Chris Gotterup is the top-ranked player in this week’s field, which includes a further seven members of the top-50: Ben Griffin (No. 16), Jacob Bridgeman (No. 27), J.T. Poston (No. 32), Keegan Bradley (No. 38), Rickie Fowler (No. 42), Daniel Berger (No. 47), and Michael Kim (No. 48).

Brian Campbell is the defending champion, and he is joined by eight additional former winners: Davis Thompson (2024), J.T. Poston (2022), Lucas Glover (2021), Dylan Frittelli (2019), Michael Kim (2018), Jordan Spieth (2015, 2013), Zach Johnson (2012), and Jonathan Byrd (2007).

Superstar amateur Jackson Koivun will make his first appearance in a regular PGA Tour event as a full member of the tour, whilst soon-to-be No. 1 amateur Preston Stout will also tee it up in Illinois.

SELECTIONS

Market leaders (1/4, 5 places): Ben Griffin 14/1, Chris Gotterup 16/1, Keith Mitchell 20/1, Jackson Koivun 20/1, Keegan Bradley 22/1

Check out the full John Deere Classic Odds here

2.5 pts Keegan Bradley each-way (1/5 - 8 places) @ 20/1

With five top-25s in his last nine appearances, few players have played as consistently as Keegan Bradley across recent months. He’s striking his irons better than he has all season at present and, as a proven eight-time winner on the PGA Tour, he’s the pick from the top of the betting.

Bradley’s 2025 campaign will no doubt be remembered for his disappointing showing as the U.S. Ryder Cup captain, but it’s easy to forget that it was around this time last year that he took down a stellar Signature Event field to win the Travelers Championship.

He made a slow start to the 2026 season, failing to hit the top-25 across his first seven appearances. However, he stopped that run at The Masters, finishing 21^st, and has picked up further results of 12^th at the RBC Heritage, 19^th at the Truist Championship, 19^th at the Memorial Tournament, and 14^th in defence of his title at TPC River Highlands last week.

Having failed to fire in the opening weeks of the year, his irons have been the big reason for this upturn in form, ranking 10^th in SG: Approach across the last three months. He’s been ever-reliable off the tee, and while the putter is up and down, he’s got plenty of winning experience on bentgrass.

That is evidenced by his two victories at the Travelers Championship (2023 & 2025), giving me confidence that Bradley can significantly improve on his 22^nd-place finish here on his last appearance 10 years ago.

1.75 pts Tom Kim each-way (1/5 - 6 places) @ 28/1

It’s been a largely forgettable 18 months for Tom Kim, though there are signs that this classy young Korean is finally getting back to his best. TPC Deere Run is the perfect place for him to show this and, with his irons continuing to thrive, he’s primed to end his three-year wait for a trophy.

Missing just two cuts in 15 appearances, Kim was solid enough at the beginning of this season, but his form has really taken off over the last month-and-a-half. A 6^th-place finish at the Myrtle Beach Classic five starts ago was his first top-10 since the Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February last year, and he doubled his tally two weeks ago when a superb 3^rd at the U.S. Open.

He gained strokes with every club in the bag at Shinnecock, ranking 8^th in SG: Tee-to-Green and 17^th in SG: Putting. The irons have been a real weapon all season, ranking 16^th in SG: Approach, and he’s been particularly dialled with the short irons, sitting 6^th from 125-150 yards.

A leaky putter has been the main hindrance. That said, he arrives here with three positive strokes-gained performances on the spin, getting better with each start, and I’m hoping he can carry that momentum into this week.

Although Kim missed the cut on his John Deere Classic debut last year, he was completely out of form. I’m happy to forgive that considering recent promise and, as a former winner of the Wyndham Championship who has finished 2^nd at the Travelers, I’m confident this is a test he can conquer.

1 pt Daniel Berger each-way (1/5 - 6 places) @ 55/1

Daniel Berger hasn’t looked quite the same since his agonising playoff defeat to Akshay Bhatia at the Arnold Palmer Invitational all the way back in March. Mind you, his iron play remains top-class, and having largely teed it up in the majors and Signature Events, he should appreciate this slight drop in class.

Kicking off the campaign with finishes of 6^th at the Sony Open and 16^th at the Phoenix Open, Berger then took his game up a notch at Bay Hill. Leading through rounds one, two and three, it was on the 17^th hole in round four when he was finally caught at the top, before then losing to Akshay Bhatia in the ensuing playoff.

He’s only played in elite fields since then – three majors, five Signature Events, and THE PLAYERS Championship – and has picked up just two further top-25s. However, the latest of those did come at last week’s Travelers Championship, where he ranked inside the top 10 from tee-to-green.

Indeed, he’s 10^th in this field in SG: Tee-to-Green season-long, and he has especially impressed in SG: Approach, ranking 1^st. The driver has been steady, and though he hasn’t enjoyed the best of times on the greens, he did find a little something over the weekend at TPC River Highlands.

Berger was 5^th on his debut around this layout in 2017, following with finishes of 33^rd in 2019, 34^th in 2021, and a missed cut in 2024. He’s been 2^nd and 5^th at the Travelers Championship, 3^rd at the CJ CUP Byron Nelson and, if able to make further progress with the putter, he can take advantage of this weaker field in Illinois.

1 pt Blades Brown each-way (1/5 - 8 places) @ 55/1

It’s been 13 years since a 19-year-old Jordan Spieth won the John Deere Classic to become just the fifth teenage winner in the history of the PGA Tour. I wonder if the precociously talented Blades Brown could follow suit this week. He’s barely put a foot wrong when teeing it up at this level and, as a player with very little to lose and everything to gain, he represents a dangerous prospect at TPC Deere Run.

Following a highly successful junior career, Brown forewent the opportunity to play college golf and turned pro at the end of 2024 at the ripe old age of 17.

He showed promise on the Korn Ferry Tour last year, going notably well when 2^nd at the Veritex Bank Championship in Texas, before moving up a gear in 2026. Mixing his time between the PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour, he has missed only three cuts and has again threatened at that lower tier, finishing 2^nd at the Tulum Championship and 3^rd at the Club Car Championship.

Seven starts on the PGA Tour have reaped similarly impressive results, including finishes of 3^rd at the Puerto Rico Open, 9^th at the Myrtle Beach Classic, and 14^th at the CJ CUP Byron Nelson. He’s been rewarded with special temporary membership on the circuit, providing him with a free shot at earning a full card for next season, with the fall-back option of qualifying via the Korn Ferry Tour.

Brown’s got a strong all-round game, showcasing both power and accuracy off the tee and looking tidy on the greens. Even so, it’s his iron play that catches the eye, ranking 3^rd in GIR and 8^th in SG: Approach when 14^th at TPC Craig Ranch last month. If he can repeat that here, he could join that ultra-exclusive list of winning teenagers.

1 pt Erik Van Rooyen each-way (1/5 - 8 places) @ 175/1

Erik Van Rooyen gave a good account of himself when put up at huge odds for the Canadian Open and is worth another shot this week. He hasn’t missed a cut since March, and with some handy comp form on offer, he can keep that run going at TPC Deere Run.

Going eight events without making the cut to begin the year, Van Rooyen arrives in Illinois having made each of his last seven. He’s had three top-20s across this time, finishing 17^th alongside Christiaan Bezuidenhout at the Zurich Classic, 19^th at the CJ CUP Byron Nelson, and 20^th at the Canadian Open last time out.

The South African is putting better than ever in 2026, ranking 15^th, and he’s also an encouraging 30^th in birdie-or-better %. The power he possesses off the tee is being complemented by greater accuracy of late and, at his most comfortable in that 100-150 yard range in approach, ranking 9^th from 100-125 yards and 38^th from 125-150, his profile stacks up nicely.

Van Rooyen missed the cut on his debut at this event in 2023, but as a former runner-up at the CJ CUP Byron Nelson who has finished 6^th at the Rocket Classic, I’m certain he’s capable of upgrading that initial effort.