talkSPORT betting tips – Best golf bets and expert advice for John Deere Classic

The PGA Tour moves onto the John Deere Classic in Illinois this week and this will be the 55th staging of the tournament, with it having first been held back in 1971.

TPC Deere Run has held the event since 2000 and while it used to be the final tournament before the Open Championship, it is now held two weeks prior to the final major of the year.

The course is one of the easiest on tour, with low scores being common here. Indeed, four of the previous five winners have finished the tournament with a score of -21 or lower.

Due to its position in the calendar, the John Deere Classic doesn’t usually attract a strong field, but 13 of the top 60 in the world will tee it up this week.

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John Deere Classic tips

• Chris Gotterup to win and each-way @ 14/1
• Eric Cole to win and each-way @ 25/1
• Jackson Koivun top-10 finish @ 10/3

Gotterup eyeing third win of 2026

Chris Gotterup began 2026 like a freight train, winning two of his first three starts of the year. He opened up with victory at the Sony Open in January before adding the Phoenix Open title to his CV a couple of weeks later.

He hasn’t won since but has missed just one cut all year. He finished T10 at the PGA Championship and T24 at the Masters.

Gotterup ranks fifth in driving distance on the PGA Tour and given how straightforward this course is, he will rack up plenty of birdie opportunities this week.

With the absence of Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, Gotterup leads the betting market alongside Ben Griffin.

For me, however, he has an excellent chance to seal his third win of the year here in Illinois.

Cole can win first PGA Tour title

Eric Cole has been knocking on the door recently in a bid to seal his first PGA Tour title. Could this be the week he finally breaks through?

Cole finished second at the Charles Schwab Challenge in May and form at Colonial Country Club which hosts that tournament is relevant ahead of this week.

The two courses are fairly similar and, given that the American came close to winning at Colonial only a few weeks ago, that suggests he is well placed to perform well at TPC Deere Run.

Cole ranks as one of the best putters on tour, heading into this tournament sixth for Strokes Gained: Putting this year which could stand him in good stead here.

The American hasn’t played since the RB Canadian Open, meaning he enters this event fresh and ready to claim that maiden tour win.

Koivun to begin pro career with a bang

Jackson Koivun played at the US Open a couple of weeks ago and finished T23 in what was his final tournament as an amateur.

He makes his professional debut on the PGA Tour this week and there is certainly plenty of hype surrounding the youngster.

Koivun played in four PGA Tour events last year, finishing no lower than 11th. Coincidentally, that finish came at the John Deere Classic, but the 21-year-old also recorded three top-six finishes in the other events.

As such, backing the American to seal another top-ten finish, especially at a course that he has played before, could be a solid bet this week.

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