PGA DFS Core Plays: John Deere Classic
Top-ranked DFS player, Notorious, breaks down his favorite PGA DFS picks at various salary ranges for this week’s tournament. Who should you be building around? Find out below.
Rickieeeeeeee!!
To be honest, I didn’t think Rickie Fowler stood a chance after he made a par on the 17th hole. He was one shot behind Adam Hadwin and Collin Morikawa with only one hole left and it was one of the toughest on the course (granted, that’s not saying much). He caught a break on his drive and stuck his approach shot to three feet to get himself in the playoff. He caught another break off the tee in the first playoff hole and stuck his approach shot to 11 feet. He rolled in the putt and picked up his first win since 2019. Not only is he one of the easiest golfers to cheer for, but he was featured as a core play and on the betting card last week.
We now turn our attention to the John Deere Classic, which is everyone’s favorite event on the PGA Tour. Kidding aside, it’s actually an underrated golf course and typically provides a fun finish. The strength of field isn’t quite where we would like it to be, as Denny McCarthy and Russell Henley are on top of the betting board. We have plenty of course data to work with, as TPC Deere Run has held this event for many years. This is a Par 71 that measures 7,289 yards. It is fairly short by PGA Tour standards and is typically one of the top 10 easiest courses on the PGA Tour rotation.
Off the tee, accuracy is more of a premium than distance. Many of the holes feature dog legs and there is a severe penalty (in terms of scoring ability) if golfers do miss the fairway. The fairways are fairly generous in width (36-40 yards in landing areas), so most golfers should be able to hit them at a high rate. The greens are small (5,500 square feet) and feature bentgrass. From the fairway, they are very easy to hit in regulation. In terms of approach shot distance, there will be a lot of wedges from 75 to 150 yards. And as is always the case at birdie-fests, golfers will need to putt well in order to contend.
Field Breakdown Video & Model Download Link for the John Deere Classic
I’m keeping it simple this week. I’m looking for accurate drivers of the ball, good wedge players, good putters, and golfers that can avoid bogeys. While this is going to be another birdie-fest, bogey avoidance has actually had a strong correlation with success here in the past.
PGA DFS Picks: DraftKings & FanDuel Core Plays for the John Deere Classic
Field Size:
- 156 golfers
Cut Rule:
- Top 65 and ties move on after the first two rounds
Weather Forecasts
Golf Course
- TPC Deere Run
- Par 71 — 7,289 yards
- Designer: D.A. Weibring
- Fairway width in landing area: 36-40 yards
- Green size: 5,500 square feet
- Green type: bentgrass
Course Notes
- Difficulty: 34th (2022), 41st (2021), 35th (2019), 46th (2018), 38th (2017)
- Should be another low-scoring birdie-fest, even with the weak field
- Short course with wide fairways, accuracy over distance OTT
- More approach shots from 75-150 yards than most venues
- Largely turns into a putting contest and who can avoid bogeys
What to Look For
- Strokes gained approach
- Strokes gained putting (emphasis on bentgrass)
- Birdie or better %
- Driving accuracy or total driving
- Bogey avoidance
