Ben Griffin enters the 2025 John Deere Classic at TPC Deere Run as the outright betting favorite, with odds around +1600. The tournament, running from July 3-6, marks the 54th edition of the Quad Cities-based PGA Tour event.
Griffin's Recent Form and Tournament History Griffin has been in excellent form leading up to the John Deere Classic. He has two victories and eight top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour this year, including a recent showing at the U.S. Open. In April, Griffin teamed up with Andrew Novak to win the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, marking his first PGA Tour victory. He followed that up with his first solo stroke-play victory at the Charles Schwab Challenge. Just a week after his Charles Schwab Challenge victory, he finished as runner-up to Scottie Scheffler at the Memorial Tournament.
Griffin also has a solid track record at TPC Deere Run, finishing tied for fifth in his debut appearance last year, shooting 23-under par with all four rounds in the 60s. Tournament director Andrew Lehman expressed his excitement about Griffin's return, highlighting his great backstory and positioning for the Playoffs and Ryder Cup team.
The Course and the Field TPC Deere Run, designed by three-time tournament winner D.A. Weibring, is a par-71 course stretching 7,289 yards. It features wide fairways, receptive greens, three reachable par-5s, and several short par-4s, making it a course where scoring opportunities abound. The field at the John Deere Classic tends to be less star-studded, as many top players opt to rest before heading to the Open Championship. This year, only a handful of players from the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking are participating, including Sungjae Im, Jason Day, and J.T. Poston.
Other Top Contenders While Ben Griffin is the favorite, several other players have a good chance of contending. Jason Day is listed with odds around +2500. Day, the 2015 PGA Champion, is aiming to break his win drought since his 2023 AT&T Byron Nelson victory. Denny McCarthy is another contender with odds around +2500. Michael Thorbjornsen is also generating buzz, with odds around +2800. He is coming off a strong T-4 finish at the Rocket Classic and has a history of success at TPC Deere Run, including a T-2 finish last season. Other players to watch include J.T. Poston, Davis Thompson, and Si Woo Kim. Davis Thompson won the John Deere Classic in 2024 with a tournament record score of 28-under par.
Expert Predictions While some experts are favoring Ben Griffin due to his excellent form and course history, others are looking at different options. Some analysts are suggesting that Jason Day may not live up to expectations, despite his favorable odds. The SportsLine model, known for its accuracy in predicting golf tournaments, sees value in Michael Thorbjornsen, given his odds and recent performances.
The John Deere Classic offers a purse of $8.4 million. Beyond the competition, the tournament has a strong charitable focus, with its Birdies for Charity program having raised over $189.6 million since 1971.
