This article is part of our Yahoo PGA DFS Picks series.
John Deere Classic
Silvis, Illinois
TPC Deere Run - Par 71 - 7,289 yards
Field - 156 entrants
Purse - $8.0M
The Preview
The PGA Tour's Midwestern swing takes us from Detroit to the Quad Cities before finally turning our attention across the pond next week for the Scottish Open, while Silvis, Illinois' TPC Deere Run is once again geared up to host the John Deere Classic amidst Independence Day celebrations this week. In terms of metaphorical fireworks, we can expect a birdie barrage at this simple par-71 layout, where the course's primary defense is the four-inch bluegrass rough that lines its otherwise wide fairways. Wedge play from 75-150 yards is going to be key in racking up scoring opportunities on these bentgrass greens, while it's likely to see eventual contenders flirt with the 20-under-par mark come Sunday afternoon. If precipitation arrives overnight Thursday as the current forecast indicates, soft conditions could allow for especially low scores throughout the weekend.
Recent Champions
2023 - Sepp Straka
2022 - J.T. Poston
2021 - Lucas Glover
2020 - None
2019 - Dylan Frittelli
2018 - Michael Kim
2017 - Bryson DeChambeau
2016 - Ryan Moore
2015 - Jordan Spieth
2014 - Brian Harman
Key Stats to Victory
Birdie or Better percentage
SG: Approach
Proximity: 75-150 yards
SG: Putting (bentgrass)
Yahoo Value Picks
Based on $200 salary cap
Cream of the Crop
Sepp Straka - $41
Not only is he the defending champion after racking up 26 total birdies and an eagle while pacing the field in GIR here last year, but Straka also has gained strokes both off the tee and with his irons in four consecutive starts from the Charles Schwab Challenge to the Travelers Championship, ascending to second in driving accuracy, third in SG: Approach, third in P4: 400-450 Efficiency and fourth in Prox: 150-175 over his last 24 rounds. A $41 salary sounds like a lot for Straka, but his competition is weak at TPC Deere Run and Yahoo's pricing is extremely soft, per usual.
Sungjae Im - $40
After slumping earlier in the season, Im has turned things around with five top-12 finishes across seven outings since the RBC Heritage, and he's notably coming off a third-place effort at the Travelers Championship where he ranked top-5 among the field in both SG: APP and GIR percentage. Additionally, he's gained strokes off the tee in seven straight starts, and he's performed well with the flat stick during each of his first two career trips to TPC Deere Run.
Glue Guys
Davis Thompson - $35
The field's No. 1 player in both SG: Par-5s and P5: 550-600 Efficiency over his last 24 rounds, Thompson also sits third in Birdies or Better Gained within this frame. He just notched back-to-back top-10s at the U.S. Open and the Rocket Mortgage Classic, gaining a combined 18.1 strokes from tee to green and 4.4 strokes putting during this eight-round stretch. Thompson tied for 31st in his John Deere Classic debut last year when he gained 4.8 strokes putting on these bentgrass greens.
Maverick McNealy - $34
McNealy's approach play from 125-175 yards wasn't up to standard on the way to a T44 last week in Detroit, but he remained hot with the putter, gaining at least four strokes on the greens for a second consecutive start. He's second in Birdies or Better Gained over his past 24 rounds, and McNealy finished T8-T18 at his last two JDC appearances.
Bargain Bin
Luke Clanton - $20
Clanton returned value in a huge way for us at the $20 minimum salary last week with 19 birdies and an eagle en route to a top-10 finish at Detroit Golf Club where he gained 7.6 strokes via ball striking and another 3.5 strokes putting. As such, we'll go right back to him this week. The Florida State star's outright odds to win his JDC debut are as short as 40-1 in the betting market, which is pretty abnormal for an amateur in a full 156-man field, but he's got the game to contend in a birdie-fest where GIR rates are inflated.
Neal Shipley - $20
Despite tying for 20th in his professional debut last week at the Rocket Mortgage Classic following a T26 as an amateur in the U.S. Open, Shipley hasn't budged from the $20 mark, making him a potentially popular target this week after he gained 5.1 strokes on approach in Detroit while excelling from the 75-125 yard range. He tallied 99.0 total Yahoo fantasy points last week, boosted by a pair of eagles at Detroit Golf Club, including a hole-out from 102 yards on the par-4 first hole in Round 1.
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