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The Fourth of July is here, and there are plenty of great sporting events to look forward to during the holiday week, including baseball, the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest and the John Deere Classic.
Founded in 1971, the John Deere Classic is a PGA Tour event held in the Midwest every July. This year’s tournament will take place at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Illinois, from July 4-7.
Golf fans are still buzzing about last year’s tournament, which was won by Sepp Straka. Straka shot the lowest closing round (62) in the Quad Cities in 41 years to win the tournament, claiming the bronze buck trophy and $1.3 million in prize money.
Can Straka defend his title and become the first back-to-back winner at this event since Steve Stricker won three straight from 2009 to 2011? Or will a new champion be crowned?
Here’s everything you need to know about the John Deere Classic, including odds for this week’s tournament at our favorite golf betting sites.
John Deere Classic Odds
Here are the outright odds for the 2024 John Deere Classic after the first day of the tournament.
Odds from DraftKings Sportsbook and subject to change.
- Davis Thompson: +330
- Luke Clanton: +800
- Hayden Springer: +800
- Denny McCarthy: +1200
- Eric Cole: +1400
- Aaron Rai: +1400
- Sami Valimaki: +2000
- Sungjae Im: +2200
- Adam Svensson: +2200
- C.T. Pan: +2500
- Lucas Glover: +2800
- Harry Hall: +4000
- J.T. Poston: +4000
- Chandler Phillips: +4500
- Beau Hossler: +4500
What Are The Stakes Of The Tournament?
The John Deere Classic takes place in early July, usually a week or two before The Open Championship. Accordingly, many golfers use it as a final tune-up before heading across the pond for the final major of the year. However, other top golfers often sit out the event to rest up for the Open, especially since this tournament is not a PGA Tour signature event.
Golfers who do compete stand to win some serious coin. This year’s event has an $8 million purse, with $1.44 million going to the winner. The winner also gets a bronze trophy of a deer leaping across a fairway.
The John Deere Classic has a major impact off the field as well. The 2023 tournament helped raise a record $14.1 million through its Birdies for Charity program.
What Is The Course Like?
TPC Deere Run was designed as a stadium course by Illinois native and former golf champion D.A. Weibring. Located along the Rock River in Silvis, Illinois, it is a par 71 with a length of 7,258 yards. The course has hosted the John Deere Classic since opening in 2000.
Built on the site of a former Arabian horse farm and designed with an old-time feel, TPC Deere Run is a blend of challenge and playability. The 18-hole public course has a risk-reward layout with bentgrass greens and fairways framed by small ponds, deep ravines, oak trees and white sand bunkers. It has a slope rating of 144 and a course rating of 75.8.
Rated as one of the best golf courses in the world, TPC Deere Run can trip up golfers with its steep slopes and relatively slow greens.
Paul Goydos holds the course record of 59, which he shot in the opening round of the John Deere Classic in 2010.
Who Are The Favorites?
Heading into the tournament, Sungjae Im is tied with Straka for the shortest tournament winner odds (+1600) in a relatively light field that’s missing PGA Tour heavyweights like Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele and Rory McIlroy. While he’s never won this event, Im is coming off a strong showing at the Travelers Championship in late June, finishing T3.
Straka looks to defend his title after winning the tournament last year. He’s been playing well lately, earning back-to-back T5 finishes at the Charles Schwab Challenge and Memorial Tournament in the spring. He’s coming off a T23 finish at the Travelers Championship.
Aaron Rai rounds out the top three betting favorites at +2000. Rai finished T2 at the Rocket Mortgage Classic last week, just one stroke behind Cameron Davis. He also had top-20 finishes at the Canadian Open and U.S. Open, so he enters this tournament with considerable momentum.
Jordan Spieth (+2200) is also a contender based on his past success at the course. Spieth’s already won this event twice in 2013 and 2015, but he’s been struggling lately. He hasn’t had a top-25 finish since early April, so bettors may want to fade him here.
Past John Deere Classic Winners
- 2023: Sepp Straka
- 2022: J.T. Poston
- 2021: Lucas Glover
- 2019: Dylan Frittelli
- 2018: Michael Kim
- 2017: Bryson DeChambeau
- 2016: Ryan Moore
- 2015: Jordan Spieth
- 2014: Brian Harman
- 2013: Jordan Spieth
Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images
