PGA Tour returns with John Deere Classic with Steve Stricker to defend his title for the third time
PGA Tour will return to the John Deere Classic at the TPC Deere Run in Silvis Illinois, the course which was rated as the second easiest of the 11 non-major courses used last year. The field constitutes of most of the sturdy players of the tour who would
be yearning to post a victory before heading into the third major of the year, The Open Championship at Royal St. George’s, Sandwich.
Steve Stricker, number five on the Official World Golf Rankings and a consecutive winner of the title for the past two years, will be returning to pitch for another title defense. Stricker boosts off an amazing form right from the beginning of the year and
will be one of the favourites to win yet again in Silvis.
The course played as one of the easiest in the 11-year history of TPC Deere Run when players posted a mind blowing 1,845 combined birdies and eagles with a scoring average of 69.455. As a result Stricker went over to post a massive 26-under to successfully
defend the title.
The probability to card birdies and eagles at 7, 257 par-71 course is rated to be an all-time high and players would be eyeing to take some risks hitting directly for the greens.
Out of the 156-man field present at the event, 19 players have already qualified for the Open Championship and the defending champion at the Sandwich, Louis Oosthuizen will also be part of the field of $4.5-million event.
Runner-up at the Masters and the US Open, Australian Jason Day will be hoping to clinch a title before heading into the third major of the year, in order to make sure that he reaches the summit at the Open rather than finishing up as another runner-up.
Day has showed top form while playing under pressure but his skilled putting fizzles out in regular events. He started off the year with a strong finish at WGC Accenture World Match Play Championship and has now soared to world number seven on the OWGR.
Charles Howell lll, is one of the top players of the recent PGA Tour events where he finished for a joint third in St. Jude Classic as well as the AT&T National and will be a deserving candidate if he lifts the title.
Mark Wilson remains one of the top bets for the event with two successful wins on the tour for the season. Number five on the FedEx Cup Rankings, Wilson has won the Sony Open in Hawaii and Waste Management Phoenix Open.
Jonathan Byrd, winner of 2007 John Deere Classic is also one of the in-form players with a win for the season at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions. There are a total of 12 major-winners participating in the event including the likes of John Daly, Zach
Johnson, Stewart Cink, and Lee Janzen.
The event has a winner’s prize share of $792,000.
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