John Deere Classic props: Best plays for Fourth of July weekend at TPC Deere Run

The PGA TOUR and Fourth of July weekend provide the fireworks for the 55th edition of the John Deere Classic in the Quad Cities. TPC Deere Run welcomes a field of 144 players to its home in Silvis, Illinois, to rack up birdies and eagles while celebrating 250 years of American independence. DraftKings gives you the freedom to put together a card of your choosing. Let’s dive in!

Winners without Keegan Bradley, Chris Gotterup, Ben Griffin, and Keith Mitchell

There are multiple clues that Jackson Koivun (+2300) will win on the PGA TOUR. Making his first start as a professional this week, he owns results of T23 or better in his last five starts on TOUR, including four finishes of T11 or better. Koivun, who is 21, will remember that Jordan Spieth won this event at 19 in 2013 and again at 21 in 2015. If you are good enough, you are old enough, the old saying goes, and Koivun, who won the Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus and Fred Haskins awards in both 2024 and 2026, is just that.

Playing this market on the up-and-coming players provides insurance if they cannot get it over the finish line on Sunday. Blades Brown (+4700), at 19 years old, has already done the hard work in 2026 and earned his PGA TOUR card through Special Temporary Membership. He was not eligible for the path through PGA TOUR University because he never attended college. Brown already hit the podium at the Puerto Rico Open in the first week of March. His other big finishes include T9 at ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic and T14 at another shootout, THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson, where he posted 18-under. Only two players have won this event on debut at TPC Deere Run: Dylan Frittelli in 2019 and Sean O'Hair in 2005.

Fourth of July ladder – Same Game Parlay (+4000)

• Top 10 (including ties), Top 20 (including ties), Top 30 and Top 40

Let’s buy the big box of fireworks to celebrate America’s 250th birthday!

• Ben Griffin (+146; Top 10): He has been knocking on the door since late April. Podium finishes at Trump National Doral and Colonial Country Club, T17 or better paydays at the last two major championships, and T10 last week at the Travelers Championship make this an easy decision to use him to lead the line. His scoring average in six rounds at TPC Deere Run is 66.67.
• Denny McCarthy (+215; Top 20) showed me everything I needed to see LAST week at TPC River Highlands. His closing rounds of 66-65, his best two rounds of 2026, alleviated any fears about his form upon arriving in the Quad Cities. Over the last four tournaments at TPC Deere Run, he’s 68 under with 13 of 16 rounds in the 60s. His streak of three consecutive top-10 paydays was busted in 2025 with a T11.
• Seamus Power (+205; Top 30) has played the last seven tournaments at TPC Deere Run and has not missed the cut once. Highlighted by a T8 payday in 2021, the Irishman cashed T25 or better five times.
• Eric Cole (-156; Top 40) has made the cut in seven of his last eight starts on TOUR. All have paid T38 or better. His super short-game acumen always travels, and he will enjoy the larger fairways and green targets this week. He also ranks eighth in Birdie Average, a must-have this week.

If this is too explosive, DraftKings allows you to create your own perfect Same Game Parlay!

Power Rankings Top 5 – Same Game Parlay

• Ben Griffin, Tom Kim, J.T. Poston, Keith Mitchell, Denny McCarthy – To make the cut (+290)

We rely on our expert for guidance! Rob Bolton’s quintet of Ben Griffin, Tom Kim, J.T. Poston, Keith Mitchell, and Denny McCarthy would return almost three times your money just for making the weekend. The last three seasons at TPC Deere Run, the cut has been 5 under, 5 under and 4 under. Rounds of 70 need not apply. If five players aren’t enough action, no problem – add as many as you would prefer!

Course Horse – Same Game Parlay

• Michael Thorbjornsen, Carson Young – Top 40 (+420)

In his three visits to TPC Deere Run, Michael Thorbjornsen has found a comfort zone. As an amateur in 2023, he played his final 54 holes in 16 under to finish T17. The 2024 event saw him share second, four shots behind champion Davis Thompson, after four rounds of 67 or better. In 2025, he closed with 63 for the second consecutive event to earn T21 money. I am pairing him with Carson Young for this lovely double. Young is 39 under in his last two visits and earned T5 money in each. All eight rounds are 69 or better.

Winning score

• Over 261.5 (-138)

Since moving to TPC Deere Run for the 2000 edition, only eight players posted 72-hole totals lower than 262. Steve Stricker (not entered), who won this event over three consecutive seasons from 2009 through 2011, set the tournament scoring record of 26 under in 2010. Michael Kim went one shot lower to win the 2018 title, and his winning total of 257 was eight shots better than second place. Davis Thompson set the new mark in the 2024 tournament with a total of 28-under 256. Thompson was joined by five others who posted 23 under or better. The Signature Event field last week did not produce a winning total lower than 21 under on the second-shortest course on TOUR. With the excessive heat on Thursday and intermittent thunderstorms in the weekend forecast, there are too many variables for a low total.

Will there be a Playoff?

• No (-750)

Brian Campbell (+21000) needed an extra hole to defeat Emiliano Grillo (+8400) and win the 2025 championship. It was the first time extra holes were needed since Jordan Spieth knocked out Tom Gillis in 2015. The eight events spanning the two playoffs (no event in 2020) featured an average winning margin of three shots. In seven of those events, the winning margin was two strokes or better. Only the 2018 event saw the champion win by one shot. Contrarians may line up on the other side of the aisle at YES (+450).

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