Black Box Golf: John Deere Classic 2025
With many of the Tour’s biggest names resting ahead of The Open Championship, the 2025 John Deere Classic presents an excellent opportunity for emerging stars and steady mid-tier performers to shine. TPC Deere Run, the long-time host of this event, rewards players who can go low — with winning scores typically in the 20-under par range — and tends to produce first-time or lesser-known champions.
This year’s field lacks elite depth, but that opens the door for value. Three players stand out as strong each-way bets based on their current form, course suitability, and upside in a relatively soft field: Sungjae Im, J.T. Poston, and Aldrich Potgieter.
⛳ Sungjae Im – Experience Meets Opportunity
Still only 27, Sungjae Im already has two PGA Tour titles to his name and continues to be one of the most consistent performers on Tour. Ranked just outside the top 20 in the Official World Golf Rankings, Im enters the John Deere Classic with the right combination of reliability and scoring ability.
TPC Deere Run suits his profile. Im is excellent from tee to green and is capable of turning hot iron play into a flurry of birdies. While he’s never posted a top-10 finish at this event, this year’s weaker field represents his best opportunity yet to contend. With his trademark tempo and unflappable demeanour, he should thrive on a course that doesn’t require overwhelming power, but rewards control and patience.
⛳ J.T. Poston – Proven Scorer in Soft Fields
At 33, J.T. Poston has carved out a career as one of the PGA Tour’s most dependable scorers in birdie-fests. All three of his Tour wins have come at venues where low scores were needed, and TPC Deere Run fits that mould perfectly.
Poston’s putting remains a significant asset, and in a tournament often decided on the greens, that edge cannot be overlooked. His approach play has also improved year-on-year, and he typically ranks among the Tour’s better wedge players — exactly the range needed here, where most second shots are inside 150 yards.
⛳ Aldrich Potgieter – Breakthrough Candidate
The South African youngster has turned heads since making his way onto the PGA Tour. At just 20 years old, Aldrich Potgieter already has a PGA Tour win to his name and is showing signs of becoming a serious player at this level.
Potgieter has the power to shorten courses like TPC Deere Run, but crucially, he also possesses the touch and scoring instincts needed to compete when the tournament becomes a sprint. While he lacks course experience, that didn’t stop previous young winners here — Jordan Spieth and Michael Kim among them — and he may benefit from a field lacking big names and major championship distractions.
Suggested Bets:
0.5 point ew Sungjae Im »> 33-1 William Hill 1-2-3-4-5-5-6-7-8 places
0.5 point ew J.T. Poston »> 28-1 William Hill 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 places
0.5 point ew Aldrich Potgieter »> 33-1 William Hill 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 places