John Deere Classic Power Rankings: Top 10 Players To Watch (2025)

June 29, 2025

TourPicks ranks his top-10 Players to watch for at the 2025 John Deere Classic at TPC Deere Run. His insights on the top-10 golfers for the week and reasons why they are primed to win.

On tap this week, amid the midsummer heat on the PGA Tour is the always compelling John Deere Classic that takes place at TPC Deere Run. The field consists of hungry young talent and seasoned veterans, all on the hunt for a trophy and to solidify all important points late in the season with the FedEx Cup Playoffs around the corner.

In this article, given the historical context and data, I'll break down my Top 10 Power Rankings for players based on recent form and specific player profiles that I believe are the best data-driven fits for TPC Deere Run where players who are in control of their game can post some incredible low scores. With a rich course history for certain players in the field, we should be able to identify specific skill sets that have proven successful at this course over recent years.

Let’s get right into my Top 10 Power Rankings for the 2025 John Deere Classic:

No. 10 - Alex Smalley

• Smalley does his best work on golf courses with easy scoring conditions. He ranks Top-5 in SG: Total and BOB% on easy courses this season.

• Limited schedule this summer but has mixed in contention at a number of events, including the Myrtle Beach Classic and Canadian Open.
• T2 at the 2023 John Deere Classic where Smalley gained nearly 8 strokes on Approach that week.

No. 9 - Keith Mitchell

• You simply cannot run a stat model without Keith Mitchell popping up in major stat categories. He's checked a ton of boxes this season...all except the win column.

• Ranks 1st in the field in Approach Proximity from 75-160 yards, a prominent range this week at TPC Deere Run.
• Mitchell has made more birdies this season than any other player in the field. If he can avoid untimely bogeys that often derail him, this could be the week he finally completes the journey back to the winner's circle.

No. 8 - Lucas Glover

• Glover loves the John Deere Classic. He has three Top-10s since 2019 at this tournament, including a WIN in 2021.

• T9 in his last start at the Travelers Championship two weeks ago. Glover has gained strokes Ballstriking in four of his last five starts.
• Ideal course fit with his excellent wedge play and driving accuracy, which surprisingly is one of the most highly correlated success stats at TPC Deere Run.

The boys are back! 🏆
Past champs teeing it up next week:@JT_ThePostman (2022)
Davis Thompson (2024)
Lucas Glover (2021)@Dylan_Frittelli (2019) pic.twitter.com/jt4YRhcegd

— John Deere Classic (@JDCLASSIC) June 25, 2025

No. 7 - Luke Clanton

• The young up-and-coming star makes a ton of birdies, 4th most in the field over the last 30 rounds on Tour.

• Lethal combination of effortless power mixed with reasonable accuracy. His Driver is a weapon that he needs to properly deploy at TPC Deere Run to have success.
• T2 in his debut at the John Deere Classic, where he gained +14.6 strokes on the field last season as an AMATUER! He's got the goods.

Luke Clanton takes the spotlight in this top moment from 2024. The AMATEUR SPONSOR EXEMPTION played out of his mind and finished tied for 2nd place with a final round of -8. Luke went on to top 5 finishes at both the Wyndham Championship and the RSM Classic this season. pic.twitter.com/1rvICgUukA

— John Deere Classic (@JDCLASSIC) December 20, 2024

No. 6 - J.T. Poston

• Another former Champion at the John Deere Classic returns this week to Illinois. Poston won this tournament in 2022.

• Great combination of skills that includes accuracy OTT and he's one of the best putters in the entire field.
• Ranks 4th best in the field in SG: Total on easy golf courses. Poston often thrives in a birdie fest.

No. 5 - Davis Thompson

• His maiden PGA Tour victory came at the 2024 John Deere Classic, where he finished -28 under par and won by four strokes.

• Played nicely at the Travelers Championship and the Rocket Mortgage Classic. His ball striking is trending in the right direction before it's time to defend his crown at TPC Deere Run this week.
• Tee to green, Thompson has been solid. Ultimately, his chances this week will come down to his putter. He's lost strokes putting in five straight tournaments, but gained a ridiculous +7.4 at this tournament last season.

No. 4 - Sungjae Im

• One of the more recognizable names that often plays this tournament. He has finishes of T12, T47, and T26 since 2020 at the John Deere Classic.
• Exceptional hands around the greens with the ability to scramble in order to avoid devastating bogeys that can roadblock a solid round. Im ranks 1st in SG: ARG.
• His driving accuracy (3rd best in field) will be a huge asset for Im and allow him to hunt birdies in Sylvis this week.

No. 3 - Jason Day

• It feels like Day has been flirting with another win lately. He's certainly the most accomplished player in the field and the former #1 in the world has what it takes to dominate this course.

• Finished T23 at this tournament last year, but enters this week in much better form. Day has finished inside the Top-25 in three of his last five tournaments.
• Day came close at the Travelers Championship in his last start. He finished T4 at TPC River Highlands and will be looking to take some of that confidence to another TPC course this week, TPC Deere Run.

We gave it a run but came up just short. Thanks to all the fans and volunteers at @travelerschamp and congrats to @keeganbradley1 on the hard fought victory 👊🏽 pic.twitter.com/pWg6I8NcRK

— Jason Day (@JDayGolf) June 23, 2025

No. 2 - Denny McCarthy

• McCarthy is one of the more accomplished players on the PGA Tour who is still looking for their first win. With a less-than-stellar field, we're left with a great opportunity for a player like McCarthy to finally break through.

• T8 at the PGA Championship and a T12 at the Travelers Championship highlight the summer performances for McCarthy. He may be the best putter on the PGA Tour and just needs to find a week where it all comes together for him.
• Exceptional course history at TPC Deere Run. T7, T6, and T6 finishes in the last three years at this tournament have made him a proven commodity at TPC Deere Run.

No. 1 - Ben Griffin

• The recent results speak for themselves. He's a walking Top-10 in every tournament of late and recent winner of the Charles Schwab Challenge. Confidence and swagger is at an all-time high for the man in the aviators.
• Griffin is such an incredible putter. Once he was able to pair that with a reliable Driver which he recently picked up extra distance with, Griffin then became a contender week in and week out on the PGA Tour.
• He's simply riding the wave at the moment, fully realizing he's in the best form of his life and he's stacking tournaments and paychecks by the bunches. A T5 at this event last year is a good sign, and I believe Griffin is the favorite to win this tournament in 2025.

Maxfli sales continue to increase with each Ben Griffin start. pic.twitter.com/R1gMbmBBBw

— NineToFive Golf (@NineToFiveGolf) June 26, 2025

Enjoy the John Deere Classic, and thanks for reading! Good luck, RotoBaller family!

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