John Deere Classic 2026 preview, picks & analysis

The John Deere Classic holds an unfortunate place in the PGA Tour calendar. With the Scottish Open and Open Championship just around the corner, most of the game’s biggest names give TPC Deere Run a miss.

That means it offers a great opportunity for some of the lesser lights to make a name for themselves, pick up a tasty cheque and secure their PGA Tour cards for the next couple of years. Twelve months ago it was Brian Campbell, who unexpectedly secured his second playoff victory of the season by beating Emiliano Grillo at the first extra hole. 

Campbell and Grillo both posted final-round 67s at TPC Deere Run to finish on 18 under and top of a congested leaderboard, where 14 players were separated by two shots with just nine holes to go. The pair returned to the par-four 18th for a playoff, where Grillo failed to get up and down to save par from the back of the green and allowed Campbell to close out victory with a tap-in par.

Victory followed Campbell's win at the Mexico Open and saw him become the fifth player to have multiple PGA Tour titles last season, joining Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Sepp Straka and Ryan Fox. It was all the more remarkable because his form since winning in Mexico had been pretty miserable. Throw into the mix the fact that he is one of the shortest hitters in the game and you can understand why his victory came as a surprise.

Kevin Roy and David Lipsky finished a shot back in tied-third, with Max Homa two strokes back in a share of fifth place that also contained Matt Kuchar and former US Open champion Lucas Glover.

So who is going to be picking up the trophy this time? Twelve months ago, Chris Gotterup was a relative unknown but that all changed when he won the Scottish Open and then challenged for The Open Championship. 

He had a fairytale start to 2026 too, winning the Sony Open in January and following it up by claiming the Phoenix Open for what was his third win in less than eight months.

Gotterup was born in Easton, Maryland on July 20, 1999.

He played college golf at Rutgers University from 2017 to 2021. In 2019 he won the Metropolitan Amateur and New Jersey State Open and was given the Metropolitan Golf Association Jerry Courville Sr. Player of the Year Award. He transferred to Oklahoma University for 2021-22, where he won the Haskins Award and Jack Nicklaus Award as the top college golfer.

He turned professional in 2022 after the NCAA championship. He played events on both the PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour in 2022, including a tied fourth at the John Deere Classic. He finished tied third at the Korn Ferry Tour Q-School to earn his 2023 Korn Ferry Tour card. He had three top-10 finishes on the tour in 2023 and earned his 2024 PGA Tour card by finishing 23rd on the points list.

On May 12, 2024, he won the Myrtle Beach Classic for his first PGA Tour victory.

But his biggest success came at the Scottish Open in July 2025, when he won on his 62nd start on the PGA Tour. And everything has continued on an upward curve ever since.

Many will also like the chances of J.T. Poston. A former John Deere Classic champion, he won the Memorial Tournament in early June and followed it up with a fine performance at the US Open. The 33-year-old has four career wins and is a superb ball striker. When he gets on a roll with the putter he is capable of winning anywhere.

Ben Griffin could do with a decent week. He had a dream season in 2025, winning the World Wide Technology Championship, Charles Schwab Challenge and Zurich Classic of New Orleans and finishing 10th finished in the FedExCup standings but this year has been a rather different story. He was third at the Cadillac Championship and tied third at the Charles Schwab but there have been many missed cuts. He will take consolation from solid performances in the majors - tied 33rd at The Masters, tied 14th at the US PGA and tied 17th at the US Open. But Griffin will be keen to get back into the winners’ circle soon.

There is never a dull moment when Aldrich Potgieter tees it up. The 21-year-old South African hits the ball prodigious distances but is as likely to shoot an 80 as he is a 60. He recorded his maiden victory in 2025 but this year has been a rollercoaster. He was fifth at the Genesis and tied eighth at the Canadian Open but there have also been a host of missed cuts, including at The Masters, where he opened with an 84. Potgieter knows only one way to play and that is to attack and this is a course that may suit him as it is fairly open and is one where LOTS of birdies are made every year.

(Image Credit: Rolex/Tom Lovelock)

The likes of Jordan Spieth, Tony Finau and Rickie Fowler are part of the field too.

Tournament Winners:

It was won in 2015 by Jordan Spieth, in 2016 by Ryan Moore, in 2017 by Bryson DeChambeau, in 2018 by Michael Kim, in 2019 by Dylan Frittelli, in 2021 by Lucas Glover, in 2022 by JT Poston, in 2023 by Sepp Straka, in 2024 by Davis Thompson and last year by Brian Campbell. There was no tournament in 2020 because of the pandemic.

The Course:

TPC Deere Run is a par 71 measuring 7,257 yards. It is one of the easier courses on the PGA Tour - the tournament record winning score is 257, set by Michael Kim in 2018. Designed by DA Weibring, it features ponds, ravines and plenty of trees, but generous fairways and large, soft greens.

Form Guide:

Chris Gotterup has proved that last year’s form was no flash in the pan and is the class act in this field.

How to Watch:

Thursday, July 2, Sky Sports Golf, 5pm; Friday, July 3, Sky Sports Golf, 9pm; Saturday, July 4, Sunday, July 5, Sky Sports Golf, 5pm.

Prize Money:

Total prize money is around $8.8m with $1.58m going to the winner, along with 500 FedEx Cup points.

To Win:

Chris Gottrup. Has it all

Each Way:

Ben Griffin. Looking to recapture last season’s form

Each Way:

J.T. Poston. In fine form

Five to Follow:

Chris Gotterup. Will surely start as favourite

Ben Griffin. Beautiful swing

J.T. Poston. Playing some fabulous golf

Garrick Higgo. Another huge hitter

Aldrich Potgieter. Anything can happen

Five Outsiders to Watch:

Tony Finau. Keen for a return to form

Max Homa. Still battling

Gordon Sargent. Looking for that big breakthrough

Nick Dunlap. Desperate for a good tournament

Matt Kuchar. Veteran still has some game