RADIO
Tom Hoge Very Much a Wildcard in Illinois This Week
Tom Hoge is almost capable of anything this week at the John Deere Classic. The American golfer has made 14 of 20 cuts and has three Top 10 results in 2026. However, he has been up and down after a rough Winter stretch. There is the dilemma with Hoge. Overall, the numbers are not good especially off the tee and putting. He gets off to a decent start but even his putts per round climb into average territory too often. Hoge's driver accuracy is 58.07% and only drives the ball 296.9 yards. Too often, that leaves him with awkward second shots and on longer courses even like TPC Deere Run, that can be tough to overcome. Hoge really could be good or be outright faded especially in DFS formats.
Source: PGATour.com
Source: PGATour.com
Sudarshan Yellamaraju Could Be One to Watch This Week
Sudarshan Yellamaraju may be one to watch this week at the John Deere Classic. The Canadian golfer is only 24 but has three Top 10 results on tour. Yes, his game is raw attires but he finds ways out of trouble, drives the ball well, and has potential at times with the putter. He drives the ball 313.1 yards and manages a solid 61.55% driver accuracy (55th). It is rare for young golfers typically to show the accuracy he has. At the RBC Canadian Open, that paved the way to a T-8 finish. Yellamaraju does putt well and limits putts. He is 17th in birdie or better conversion percentage at 34.59%. With fewer top players in the field this week, Yellamaraju could be a surprise betting choice again.
Source: PGATour.com
Source: PGATour.com
Pierceson Coody Must Keep Putting Well to Stay in Contention
Pierceson Coody only has two top-10 results in 2026. The American golfer has been fairly consistent with 10 top-25 finishes in 18 events. He could thrive at the John Deere Classic this week, as Coody gets off the tee well and ranks 35th in strokes gained putting (0.303). He is driving the ball 317.5 yards on average (12th) and is OK with driver accuracy (58.07%). Coody does have to calm down, though, as he wastes putts early in events. He improves as a tournament goes on, ranking 40th with 28.08 putts per final round. It is the weekend where Coody can become a real factor when it comes to DFS and maybe more.
Source: PGATour.com
Source: PGATour.com
Taylor Pendrith in Average Form as TPC Deere Run Looms
Taylor Pendrith can make cuts (13 out of 18) and drive the ball well enough (25th in driving distance). The Canadian golfer even has a ranking around the average (93rd in the Official World Golf Rankings). Pendrith averages more than 30 putts per round over the first two days of an event. It has not improved much throughout 2026. At least he has made a few more putts, though, as his strokes gained in putting over the last half dozen events has teetered around zero. Last week, Pendrith dropped right out of the top 50, mostly because his driving accuracy was 11% off compared to the field. Having to be accurate off the tee and getting close to the green have been two major issues for Pendrith in 2026, besides his putting issues.
Source: PGATour.com
Source: PGATour.com
Haotong Li Not Playing Well Heading into John Deere Classic
Haotong Li keeps struggling on the PGA Tour in 2026. The Chinese golfer has only made seven of 16 cuts this season. Worse, he only has a couple of Top 25 results and then laid an egg with a 79 during Round 3 of the RBC Canadian Open. That tossed him far out of contention. It has been a recurring theme in 2026. Even with a diminished field, Li carries an awful lot of risk. Total strokes gained has been negative in nine of his last 11 events. Again, too many putts from the golfer may be the biggest problem. He averages 29.66 per round and 30 per opening round. Li struggles out of the gate too often to be trusted from a betting perspective.
Source: PGATour.com
Source: PGATour.com
Max Homa Rested After a Few Weeks Off From Golf
Max Homa has posted back-to-back top-25 results. The American golfer then took some time off to recharge his batteries heading into July. Homa did wind up with a T5 last year as fewer birdies were made. Will conditions cause scores to go up? That is the biggest question. If it does, Homa may have problems keeping up. However, if the course plays a little more challenging, the Californian could be at least a DFS factor. He ranks 47th in strokes gained putting at a solid 0.214. His start is troubling, though, with Homa averaging 29.07 putts per Round 1 in 2026. The hope is that Homa could improve over the weekend.
Source: PGATour.com
Source: PGATour.com
Nico Echavarria Just Not Good Enough Over the Weekend
Nico Echavarria opened up with a very good round of 64 on Thursday. The Colombian golfer could not generate much movement under par over the weekend. Consecutive rounds of 68 helped Echavarria tread water but finished outside the Top 25 for a third consecutive event. Since the Cognizant Classic win in early March, the golfer has one Top 10 result. A slightly longer course of 7,257 yards can be a concern for Echavarria. Even with a diminished field, the golfer might have problems again this weekend. It may be wise to fade Echavarria from a DFS and betting perspective.
Source: PGATour.com
Source: PGATour.com
Daniel Berger Looks to Continue Solid Form at John Deere Classic
Daniel Berger did not start well in Connecticut. The American golfer opened with a 70 on Thursday which put him a little too far behind the leaders. Despite that, Berger managed a 67-65-66 the rest of the way to get into the Top 25 (T-25). He finished nine strokes off the lead. Berger's inconsistent putting continued as he lost 0.71 strokes to the field. Berger's driving distance and accuracy was on the plus side after being negative on Thursday. Berger is around +6000 to win the John Deere Classic. A Top 20 finish is still +210 and Berger could be worth a look if more putts drop like they did over the weekend.
Source: PGATour.com
Source: PGATour.com
Blades Brown a Good Course Fit at TPC Deere Run
It's been a consistent effort for Blades Brown over on the Korn Ferry Tour, with finishes of T13 and T17 in his last two starts. He gets another PGA Tour opportunity this week in Illinois for the John Deere Classic. Even with the step up in competition, it hasn't fazed the 19-year-old, as he's played well when given the chance. Brown has shown tremendous ball striking ability all season, averaging 0.693 strokes gained on approach over his last three starts on the premier circuit. He'll need to be sharper around the greens and place a premium on playing from the fairway, but he's ultimately proven that he's ready to compete now. It's hard to pass up on him this week, since his limited presence out there keeps his pricing low. Take advantage of his underdog status while it's possible.
Source: Data Golf
Source: Data Golf
Cameron Young Needs to Bounce Back at Travelers Championship
Cameron Young finished tied for 43rd at last week's U.S. Open and will now focus on preparing for this week's Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut. So far this season, Young has six top-25 finishes, one win, and no missed cuts in 13 starts. He finished tied for 52nd at last year's Travelers Championship and tied for ninth in 2024. Over the past 12 months, Young ranks in the 80th percentile for proximity to the hole on approach shots from 100-150 yards in the fairway. This is worth noting because over 31% of approach shots at last year's Travelers Championship came from this distance.
Source: Data Golf
Source: Data Golf
Gary Woodland Keeps Playing Well Heading to Travelers Championship
Gary Woodland finished tied for seventh at last week's U.S. Open and will now focus on preparing for this week's Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut. So far this season, Woodland has five top-25 finishes, one win, and five missed cuts in 16 starts. He finished tied for 26th at last year's Travelers Championship and tied for 33rd in 2023. Over the past 12 months, Woodland ranks in the 59th percentile for proximity to the hole on approach shots from 100-150 yards in the fairway. This matters because over 31% of approach shots at last year's Travelers Championship came from this distance.
Source: Data Golf
Source: Data Golf
Xander Schauffele A Favorite to Win Travelers Championship
Xander Schauffele finished tied for 11th at last week's U.S. Open and will now focus on preparing for this week's Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut. Schauffele has had a strong season so far, finishing in the top 25 nine times in 13 starts. He finished tied for 61st at last week's Travelers Championship and tied for 13th in 2024. Over the past 12 months, Schauffele ranks in the 90th percentile for proximity to the hole on approach shots from 100-150 yards in the fairway. This is worth noting because over 31% of approach shots at last year's Travelers Championship came from this distance.
Source: Data Golf
Source: Data Golf
Aaron Rai Rounding Into Form For Travelers Championship
Aaron Rai finished tied for 11th at last week's U.S. Open and will now focus on preparing for this week's Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut. Rai has been playing well, finishing in the top-25 in four of his last six starts and winning one. Rai finished tied for 17th at last year's Travelers Championship and tied for 23rd in 2023. Over the past 12 months, Rai ranks in the 95th percentile in proximity to the hole on approach shots from 100-150 yards in the fairway. This matters because over 31% of approach shots at last year's Travelers Championship came from this distance.
Source: Data Golf
Source: Data Golf
Hideki Matsuyama Struggling to Find Early Season Form
Hideki Matsuyama finished tied for 65th at last week's U.S. Open and will now focus on preparing for this week's Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut. Matsuyama started the season strongly with four straight top-25 finishes. Since then, he has recorded three top-25 finishes in 11 starts. He finished tied for 30th in the 2025 edition of the Travelers Championship and tied for 23rd in 2024. Over the past 12 months, Matsuyama ranks in the 83rd percentile in proximity to the hole on approach shots from 100-150 yards in the fairway. This is worth noting because over 31% of approach shots came from this distance at last year's Travelers Championship.
Source: Data Golf
Source: Data Golf
Russell Henley Has Chance to Bounce Back at Travelers Championship
Russell Henley finished tied for 65th at last week's U.S. Open and will now focus on preparing for this week's Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut. Henley has had mixed results this season, finishing in the top 25 eight times in 15 starts. He's also missed the cut three times. Henley finished tied for second at last year's Travelers Championship and tied for 48th in 2024. Over the past 12 months, Henley ranks in the 98th percentile for proximity to the hole on approach shots from 100-150 yards in the fairway. This matters because over 31% of approach shots at last year's Travelers Championship came from this distance.
Source: Data Golf
Source: Data Golf
