The PGA Tour’s traditional appetiser to the Open Championship could not be starker in contrast. This is a veritable birdie-fest that is perhaps designed to instill confidence ahead of next week’s event, writes Damien Kayat.
The US PGA Tour 2019
John Deere Classic
TPC Deere Run, Silvis, Illinois
11th-14th July
The PGA Tour’s traditional appetiser to the Open Championship could not be starker in contrast. This is a veritable birdie-fest that is perhaps designed to instill confidence ahead of next week’s event. This event was originally known as the Quad Cities Open and formed as a satellite event in 1971. A year later it achieved full PGA Tour status. It went through various guises, spending much time at Oakwood Country Club. But the event settled on TPC Deere Run in 2000 and has remained a fixture ever since. It has been the preceding event to the Open Championship every year with the exception of 2016: the Rio Olympics caused major schedule changes in 2016. Francesco Molinari finished runner-up last year prior to his glorious week at Carnoustie.
Designed by D.A Weibring, this course is a basic layout that will bring the smaller hitters into play. It actually resides over old Native American land- which is fairly portentous if you have seen Pet Semetary. Steve Stricker has won this event three times, highlighting the fact that length is not critical around TPC Deere Run. It basically boils down to a putting contest every year, with the putting average of the last ten winners at 8.5. Paul Goydos memorably shot a 59 around Deere Run in 2010. This event actually achieved a fair amount of buzz back in 2005 and 2006, with Michelle Wie granted special sponsor’s exemptions to compete against her male counterparts.
It is unsurprising that the PGA Tour’s perennial Open Championship precursor has failed to draw a terrific line-up- even with the added incentive of a privately chartered plane leaving on Sunday. Having said that, there is an exciting blend of future PGA Stars in the mix this week amongst some wily, seasoned campaigners. Viktor Hovland and Collin Morikawa have taken the tour by storm while Sungjae Im is perhaps the leading contender for PGA Rookie of the year. Zach Johnson is a John Deere staple while Brian Harman is a former champion coming into form at the right time.
Past Winners
2018: Michael Kim (-27)
2017: Bryson DeChamebeau (-18)
2016: Ryan Moore (-22)
2015: Jordan Spieth (-20)*playoff
2014: Brian Harman (-22)
Betting Favourites (To Win)
Viktor Hovland (18/1)
Collin Morikawa (20/1)
Sungjae Im (22/1)
Joaquin Niemann (22/1)
Zach Johnson (25/1)
Value Bets
Zach Johnson- To Win (25/1), To Place (11/2)
This is an old-fashioned ‘Horses for Courses’ pick that has to be respected. Two-time Major Champion Zach Johnson has endured a rough 12 months, actually falling out of the world’s top 100 for the first time in 15 years last week. Having said that, he is a past master at Deere Run and will relish a vastly diminished field. Johnson won here in 2012 and remarkably has three runner-up finishes. When he won at St Andrews in 2015 he had finished 3rd at TPC Deere Run the week before. Being an Open Champion, Johnson doesn’t have the added pressure of qualification concerns for next week.
Troy Merritt- To Win (80/1), To Place (17/1)
Troy Merritt just seems a good fit this week when you look at some statistical information. He currently sits 23rd for birdie average and 21st for proximity to hole. That should serve him well considering this is something of a turkey-shoot. He has a decent enough record here, with five cuts made in seven visits. But he enters this week in decent from after a 7th in Minnesota last time out. He putted much better in that performance and he will be looking towards his two previous PGA victories for motivation. His two wins have come with scores of -18 and -22, highlighting his suitability to this test.
The Man to Beat- Joaquin Niemann- To Win (22/1), To Place (48/10)
20 year-old Chilean Joaquin Niemann has understandably taken some time to get used to the vagaries of the tour. He actually endured a run of four missed cuts in five events earlier this season. But his form has certainly turned with back-to-back top 5 finishes at the Rocket Mortgage and Travellers event. He followed that up with a decent 23rd last week and he will feel extremely confident considering the lack of depth in this field. He has made his last six cuts and actually fared well here on debut last season, ultimately finishing in 23rd place.
