RADIO
As the 2023 season continues, the PGA Tour heads north to Silvis, Illinois for the John Deere Classic. After a week spent in Detroit for the Rocket Mortgage Classic, the upcoming Deere sports a rather underwhelming group of entrants in what's a bit of a lull on the Tour schedule.
In this article, you will find my 2023 John Deere Classic Power Rankings, which dives into the top 10 golfers who are primed to make a significant impact in this year's edition of the Quad Cities event. These players should be considered serious contenders at TPC Deere Run this week and are legitimate threats to take home the title won by J.T. Poston in last year's edition of the JDC.
Hopefully, these rankings provide some insight into the current landscape of the PGA Tour and the upcoming tournament. Players have been evaluated on recent performances, statistical analysis, and course history. With a unique field of competitors, the John Deere promises to be a fun tournament for golf fans.
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#10. Nick Taylor
The Canadian's now-legendary victory in his home country's national open was no fluke. Leading up to his dramatic win at the RBC Canadian Open, Taylor had played great golf in spurts, including a runner-up at the WM Phoenix Open, as well as top-10 finishes at both Sony and Valspar.
Taylor's high-end results have been driven by his ability to go on birdie binges. Entering this week, Taylor grades out second among John Deere Classic entrants in Birdies or Better Gained and fourth in Strokes Gained: Total. Now nearly a month removed from his emotional win in Canada, Taylor should be settled down and focused on success at TPC Deere Run.
NICK TAYLOR DRAINS A 72 FOOTER TO WIN IT OMG!!!!
THE CANADIAN WINS IT IN CANADA. WHAT A TOURNAMENT. WHAT A FINISH. pic.twitter.com/4VvcFXtbM0
— Fore Play (@ForePlayPod) June 11, 2023
#9. Eric Cole
After years spent toiling away in golf's minor leagues, Cole has established himself as a presence in the big show in 2023. The 35-year-old journeyman scored a career-best runner-up finish at the Honda Classic earlier in the year and has not looked back. Cole heads to the John Deere standing 39th in the FedEx Cup points standings. He has made the cut in eight of his last 10 starts with a pair of top-six finishes and four additional top-25s across those outings.
Cole grades out second among this week's Deere entrants in SG: Total over the last 36 rounds. This will be his second look at TPC Deere Run. He missed the cut in his lone JDC start in 2021, though it's fair to say he's a vastly different player at this point in his career.
The grind never stops for Eric Cole.
After playing 12 events in a row, Cole drove eight hours from @TravelersChamp to Pittsburgh to compete a mini tour event.
Cole has been playing in the event for a decade. pic.twitter.com/OT3JBcpQGb
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 26, 2023
#8. Emiliano Grillo
A recent winner at the Charles Schwab Challenge, Grillo's irons have been firing on all cylinders over the past three months. The Argentine pro has now gained 4.5 or more strokes on Approach in four of his last seven starts.
In addition to the recent form, Grillo should get some positive vibes in Illinois, as he recorded a runner-up finish in last year's edition of the John Deere in what was his first career start in the event.
#7. Chris Kirk
A winner at the Honda Classic earlier this year, Kirk's game went relatively quiet in May and June, as he faced some of the schedule's lengthier golf courses. The UGA alum bounced back nicely at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, gaining just over 9.4 strokes T2G at Detroit Golf Club en route to a rock-solid T14. He now brings that trending form to a manageable TPC Deere Run layout on which he's logged four top-25 finishes in six career John Deere starts.
Chris Kirk quickly making moves early on Friday.
3 straight birdies on 2, 3, and 4 and he's at -8 thru 4.
+2000 live to win @FDSportsbook pic.twitter.com/kFE89JErom
— Golfbet (@Golfbet) June 30, 2023
#6. Adam Hadwin
The Canadian has felt at home in the John Deere Classic, posting a career 68.40 across three previous trips to Illinois.
Hadwin has struggled with consistency this year, but a T12 while playing in his home country's national open last month appears to have kickstarted his game, as he's now gained over five strokes with the irons in two of his last three starts.
That sharp approach play led to a sizzling outing in last week's Rocket Mortgage Classic, where Hadwin settled for a runner-up finish after falling short in a sudden-death playoff.
#5. Ludvig Aberg
The newly-minted professional out of Texas Tech has wasted little time making his presence known on the PGA Tour and makes an appearance in our John Deere Power Rankings as a result.
Aberg was a dominant amateur that earned the No. 1 spot in the World Amateur Golf Ranking in 2022. A two-time Big 12 Champion, the 23-year-old Swede finished atop the PGA Tour U rankings to earn his current spot on the Tour.
He posted top-25s in his first two starts as a pro (RBC Canadian Open & Travelers Championship) and will be making his first career John Deere Classic start.
#4. Adam Schenk
The Indiana native heads to this heartland setting where he's been eminently comfortable in previous John Deere appearances. Schenk has turned heads in prior years at TPC Deere Run, scoring a T4 in 2021 on the heels of a T6 in 2020.
In addition to the strong course history, the 31-year-old comes in with popping form. Schenk gained nearly eight strokes T2G in last week's Rocket Mortgage en route to a top-10 finish. That performance marked his third top-10 result since May, a stretch that included a runner-up finish at the Charles Schwab Challenge.
Adam Schenk says he took a nap during the weather delay today in Detroit and got woken up by a rules official.
“Now that’s a sign of a guy who’s not anxious,” Trevor Immelman said during the walk and talk with Schenk.
Schenk is six back and in the top 20. pic.twitter.com/uSo9EcForu
— Garrett Johnston (@JohnstonGarrett) July 1, 2023
#3. Cameron Young
At 19th in the OWGR, Cameron Young is the highest-ranked golfer in this week's Deere field. Unfortunately, Young's recent form doesn't accurately reflect that standing, as the 2022 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year has been mired in something of a sophomore slump in recent months.
Young's last top-25 results came way back in April at the Masters, as he's routinely struggled mightily with the putter, losing an average of 2.7 strokes on the greens over his last five starts.
Despite his underwhelming recent results, Young possesses the type of explosive talent that can't be ignored, especially in a field as weak as the John Deere's.
#2. Denny McCarthy
The 30-year-old putting extraordinaire heads to Illinois playing perhaps the finest golf of his career. McCarthy comes in off a T7 in his most recent start at the Travelers. That effort was just the latest in a string of excellent outings with a T20 in the U.S. Open and a runner-up finish at the Memorial all coming in the month of June.
One of the best putters on the PGA Tour, McCarthy stands fourth on Tour in SG: Putting this season. However, it's his improved ball striking which has led to the dramatic spike in results in 2023. He has gained an average of 2.4 strokes T2G over his last 10 starts and grades out first in this week's John Deere field in SG: Total over his last 24 rounds. In addition to the white-hot form, McCarthy scored a T6 result at TPC Deere Run last year.
This was Denny McCarthy's 59th shot of the day. It banked off the side of the hill and rolled 3 feet past the cup. Another 1 inch to the right, and he would have holed out for 59. Insane. pic.twitter.com/IogkcFfOmR
— Kyle Porter (@KylePorterCBS) June 22, 2023
#1. Russell Henley
Henley stands out as perhaps the most stable and consistent player in the watered-down John Deere field, which in the absence of a true dominant golfer, places him atop this week's Power Rankings.
The UGA alum comes into the week having recorded top-20 finishes in seven of his last eight starts. This on the heels of a victory at Mayakoba to close out 2022.
He grades out second in this week's Deere field in Strokes Gained: Total over the last 24 rounds. Henley boasts strong history at TPC Deere Run with a T11 and a runner-up finish across his last two appearances in the John Deere Classic. His 67.42 career event scoring average is the best in the field among those with two or more starts.
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