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Patrick Gates shares his betting card for the 2026 John Deere Classic and breaks down each of his selections for this week's event.
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The PGA TOUR heads to Silvis, Illinois, this week for the John Deere Classic at TPC Deere Run. The tournament features a 144-player field, with just two players ranked inside the top 20 of the Official World Golf Ranking in attendance. While the event may lack the star power of many other stops on the schedule, this is one of the strongest overall fields the John Deere Classic has seen in recent years.
In an article released on Monday, I broke down everything you need to know about the John Deere Classic, from course details to key stats and historical trends. If you have not checked that out yet, I highly recommend giving it a read. As always, if you have questions about any players or the event itself, feel free to reach out to me on social media or in Discord.
With that said, let’s dive into the 26th event of the season as I break down my betting card for the 2026 John Deere Classic!
Outrights
Jackson Koivun (+2700) - DraftKings
Jackson Koivun will make his professional debut this week after accepting PGA TOUR membership through PGA TOUR University Accelerated. The 21-year-old is one of the brightest young stars in golf, having won the Ben Hogan Award, Jack Nicklaus Award, and Fred Haskins Award in both 2024 and 2026.
Koivun already has experience at TPC Deere Run, finishing T11 here last season as an amateur. He also enters in excellent form after posting a T23 finish at the U.S. Open against one of the strongest fields of the year.
We've seen young players break through at the John Deere Classic before, and this feels like an ideal spot for Koivun to earn his first PGA TOUR victory. He arrives with confidence, familiarity with the course, and a game that fits what TPC Deere Run demands.
Tom Kim (+3500) - DraftKings
Tom Kim struggled through the first half of the season, recording just one top-20 finish between January and May. However, the 24-year-old South Korean appears to have found his form, finishing T15 at the RBC Canadian Open before following it up with a third-place finish at the U.S. Open.
His resurgence has been fueled by a much-improved putter, while his iron play and short game have remained strengths throughout the season.
Kim missed the cut in his lone appearance at TPC Deere Run last year, but he entered that event in far worse form than he is now. With the Presidents Cup approaching, Kim has every reason to keep the momentum going, and this course sets up well for his accurate, well-rounded game.
