9 to choose our favorite expert this week
As America’s historic birthday approaches, what better to be this week than heart?
The annual trip to the Quad Cities area for the John Deere Classic in Silvis, Ill., is one last stop State-side before we head overseas for the Scottish Open and the final championship of the season, the Open Championship.
Established in 1971, the John Deer Classic has made its home at TPC Deere Run since DA Weibring designed the course in 2000. Like last week’s Traveler Championship, this event usually draws large and enthusiastic crowds. The fields are not always full of stars but fireworks are often seen in the form of birdie barrages and long shot winners, some of whom are destined to become big names.
The golf course is a par 71 that measures over 7,300 yards. There are 11 in 4, four in 3, and three in 5. The fairways are wide, surrounded by penalty rough, and the Bentgrass greens are big and fast. The formula here is very straightforward. Neither distance nor accuracy off the tee has proven to be worth it. This event is all about playing, hitting the greens fair, being a demon with wedges, getting a hot putter for a few days, and chasing a bunch of birdies. In the last 10 editions of this tournament, the average winning score is 22-under division.
In terms of complementary courses, I believe we can get back to where we were last week at TPC River Highlands. I also used the Detroit Golf Club (Rocket Classic); TPC Craig Ranch (Byron Nelson); Black Desert Resort in Southern Utah (Black Desert Championship), as well as several recent Canadian Open venues, Oakdale Golf & Country Club and TPC Toronto.
Hoping for pyrotechnics, I’ve placed nine wagers to win on the card this week, or I’ll spoil that by noting that the payouts are low to normal, as some of my picks are very dark horses.
In keeping with the holiday weekend, let’s see if we can stumble upon something explosive.
Mitchell is the only one we have chosen near the top of this week’s board. He is one of the best players in the industry and I love how far he has come. He has one career win on the PGA Tour and has come close to adding a second a few times. This may be time and place. Mitchell has finished seventh here in the past and was fifth at TPC Craig Ranch last month. He rebounded two weeks ago, finishing fourth at the US Open. In the last 24 rounds, he is fourth in the field in Birdie or Better Percentage and is 14 years old.th In Strokes Gained: Par 4s.
Ryo Hisatsune (50-1)
Hisatune is still looking for his first PGA Tour win, but hasn’t missed a cut since the Sony Open in January. He is undoubtedly the best bowler in the industry. It will be his putter if he gets a fight. He is ranked second on the Tour in Total Birdies.
Andrew Novak (50-1)
Novak’s only Tour victory came at a team event in New Orleans two years ago. He is still looking for his personal title. He, too, is a great bowler. He has never missed the cut here in three tries and finished seventh in 2024. Novak was ninth at Oakdale in 2023 and 14th.th at TPC Toronto in 2024.
Taylor Moore (80-1)
Moore can win, as he did in the 2023 Valspar Championship. He finished second earlier this season at the Cognizant Classic and just finished in the top 15 last month at TPC Craig Ranch. He finished sixth, fourth, and 10thth at Detroit Golf Club and is ranked 10thth in this field in the last 24 rounds for Birdies or Better Percentage. He is 26 years oldth in this SG category: Laying (Bentgrass).
Kevin Yu (80-1)
Another striker extraordinaire who has shown good form of late. Yu’s first top 30 finish was at TPC Toronto, where he was sixth in the SG: Off the Tee category, eighth in SG: Approach, and was No. 1 that week on Greens in Regulation. He took third at TPC Toronto in 2025. He has never finished worse than 21stSt at Deere Run and sixth in 2023. Through the last 24 rounds, Yu ranks seventh in the field in Birdie or Better Percentage and is 17 years old.th of SG: Par 4s.
Ben Kohls (80-1)
Earlier this month, Kohles won his fifth career title on the Korn Ferry Tour and followed it up with a top-25 finish at Shinnecock Hills at the US Open. He was in the top 20 at Black Desert and Rocket Mortgage in Detroit, and finished second at TPC Craig Ranch in 2024. He is particularly accurate against the team and ranks second in the field in SG: Close over the past 24 rounds.
Jimmy Stanger (225-1)
Time to dive into the deep, dark, depths of the betting board. Stanger made a splash a few weeks ago at TPC Toronto where he finished fourth. He is far from the tee and the elite putter putter. Stanger finished No. 1 in that field in Canada in SG: To put a week and have 10th to Greens in Regulation.
Erik van Rooyan (275-1)
EVR always seems to be at or near the top of the leaderboard at ol’-fashioned birdies fests. That’s part of why he’s ranked 15thth in this field SG: Putting (Bentgrass) is also 10th with a Birdie or Better Percentage over the last 24 rounds. He missed eight in a row to start this season but has made seven in a row, including 19th in Byron Nelson and 20th at the TPC in Toronto. Van Rooyan was runner-up to Nelson in 2024 and sixth in the Rocket Classic that season.
Tyler Duncan (400-1)
Hailing from the Midwest, Duncan is familiar with this part of the country and has finished as high as 12.th at TPC Deere Run. He is very accurate, dials the shot from 75-150 yards, and has a deft short game, ranking 11.th in this category of Scrambling in the last 24 and 33 roundsrd of SG: Laying (Bentgrass).
