It’s America’s 250th birthday celebration this weekend, which means the PGA Tour is heading to TPC Deere Run for the 2026 John Deere Classic. A field of 144 golfers will descend upon Silvis, Illinois, on Thursday to compete on a par 71 course filled with elevation and undulation, built upon an old Arabian horse farm.
Last year’s winner, Brian Campbell, cashed as a massive longshot in a two-hole playoff over Emiliano Grillo. Other recent winners who will be in the field this week include Davis Thompson (+5500), J.T. Poston (+2500) and Lucas Glover (+10000).
4.5-inch Bluegrass rough is the biggest obstacle at TPC Deere Run. It’s a relatively short course at just over 7,300 yards, with 12.5 feet of speed on undulating Bentgrass greens. Bunkers are frequently in play as the other primary defense.
I’m coming off a tough 0-3 result with my 2026 Travelers Championship Picks & Predictions: Best PGA Bets. Viktor Hovland’s clutch playoff win over Scottie Scheffler made for great entertainment down the stretch on Sunday into Monday morning.
Unfortunately, my plays fell short of a win. Brian Harman’s top 20 streak looked to be intact until he finished +3 on the final five holes on Sunday to slide to T25. Tommy Fleetwood shot a 70 in Round 3 that kept him from cashing a +260 Top 5 finish. I was way off on Xander Schauffele for a top 5 finish. He posted a T51 finish, never breaking 67 at a course that was ceding tons of birdies.
Let’s reload and gear up for the 4th of July festivities with three more best bets on the 2026 John Deere Classic. Follow me on X at Matt_MacKay_ for more free picks and analysis down the stretch of the 2026 PGA Tour season.
2026 John Deere Classic Picks: Best Bets
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
Top 20 Finishing Position
We haven’t seen Keegan Bradley tee it up at TPC John Deere since 2016. Now, he’s back in action, playing with consistency, carding two top 20 finishes in his last three starts.
Bradley ranks 29th in total driving, 45th on 200+ yard approach shots, 61st in proximity, and 74th for sand save rate. His ability to generate clean lies off-the-tee should lead to production this week.
Let’s bet one unit on Keegan Bradley to record a Top 20 finish at +110.
Pick: Keegan Bradley (+110)
Top 20 Finishing Position
It may feel like a square play backing a former John Deere Classic winner like J.T. Poston. However, he’s been playing good golf lately, aside from a nasty mishap that landed a 12 on his scorecard during the Travelers Championship last week.
Poston has two top 10s at TPC Deere Run. Recently, he’s regressed, going T30-MC in 2024 and 2025. In 2026, Poston has two top 5 finishes and a big-time win at the Memorial Tournament. He also carded a T4 at Shinnecock during the U.S. Open a couple of weeks ago.
Notable ranks include 38th for driving accuracy, 50th for finding greens in regulation (67.2%), 54th in birdie average (3.89) and top-65 in SG: Putting and SG: Off-the-Tee. His iron game sits just a bit lower at 75th for SG: Approach.
Drop another unit on J.T. Poston to wind up inside the top 20 at the 2026 John Deere Classic.
Pick: J.T. Poston (+135)
Top 20 Finishing Position
We’re getting good value on Eric Cole’s Top 20 Finishing Position prop this week. He’s collected four top 10s in 2026, although his inconsistency has yielded pedestrian finishes MC-T38 after going low in opening rounds at the RBC Canadian Open and Travelers Championship.
Cole has one top 20 finish in four trips to Silvis, which came in 2024. He’s an elite putter, leading the PGA Tour in putting average, putts per round and one-putt rate this season. Cole also sits 52nd in SG: Approach, 27th in scrambling, and 16th for sand save rate.
These metrics are good enough to justify one final unit staked on Eric Cole to record a top 20 finish this week at +155 odds.
Pick: Eric Cole (+155)
