PGA DFS Core Plays: John Deere Classic
Top-ranked grinder, Notorious, breaks down his favorite daily fantasy golf plays at various salary ranges for the coming week’s golf tournament. Who should you be building around? Find out below.
John Deere Classic Preview
This is one of those weeks where you brace for variance and hope you are on the right side of it. It’s the week before a major, we have one of the weakest fields we’ve had all year, and this is your classic birdie fest. More often than not, easier courses bring more golfers into the mix. When you are playing an extremely difficult golf course, it rewards good shots and you typically see the cream rise to the top. This isn’t a knock on TPC Deere Run, but when fairways and greens are easy to hit for the entire field, it turns into somewhat of a putting contest. The course itself is a Par 71 that measures nearly 7,300 yards. When the likes of Zach Johnson and Steve Stricker finish in the top five here seemingly every year, it’s clear that distance isn’t a prerequisite for the course.
In terms of difficulty, this course has been one of the top 15 easiest on tour each of the last eight years. The winning score is typically at least 20-under par and the cut has been under par in each of the last 16 editions of the event. The fairways are easier to hit than tour average, the greens are easier to hit than tour average, and the scrambling success rate is higher than tour average. In my humble opinion, the three most important attributes at TPC Deere Run are keeping it in the fairway, being locked in with your wedges, and making putts on these bentgrass greens. I expect there to be plenty of surprises (both good and bad), so don’t be afraid to steer away from some chalk this week. As always, be sure to check out my model breakdown video to get my thoughts on the entire field.
Windfinder Forecast
Cut Rule:
- Top 65 and ties (156 golfers in the field — at least 42% will make the cut)
Key Statistics for the Week
- Strokes Gained Approach
- Birdie or Better %
- Strokes Gained Putting
- Proximity from 100-150 Yards
- Strokes Gained Off the Tee (Emphasis on Accuracy over Distance)
Yardage Specialists (based on holes at TPC Deere Run)
- Kevin Streelman
- Daniel Berger
- Brian Harman
- Cameron Davis
- Sungjae Im