With most of the big hitters already crossed the pond to prepare for the 2021 Open Championship, it would be very interesting to see just how the upcoming 2021 John Deere Classic would play out. With that said, let’s take a look at some of the favorites, sleepers, and long shots for the 2021 John Deere Classic down in Silvis, Illinois.
Currently ranked 16th on the season, Berger, just like the rest of the field, will look to capitalize on the absence of the big hitters this week at TPC Deere Run. Berger last saw action in the 2021 US Open where he finished with a T7. He’s 5 of 5 in his last five starts, a stretch that also seen him record four top 20s. Apart from his strong finish in the US Open, Berger also had a T3 in the 2021 AT&T Byron Nelson. It should also be noted that Berger finished fifth in the 2017 edition of the John Deere Classic, ending that tournament with a score of 15-under 269. Berger has a win this season, as he topped the 2021 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am back in February. That’s one of his six top 10s, so far this season.
Im is now 3 of 3 in his last three starts. After back-to-back T35s in the 2021 Palmetto Championship at Congaree and in the 2021 US Open, Im went into turbo mode and finished with a T8 in the recently concluded 2021 Rocket Mortgage Classic. He’s clearly regained his confidence now after missing the cut in two successive tournaments, namely the 2021 Charles Schwab Challenge and 2021 the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide. This season, Im is 13th in terms of driving accuracy percentage and 33rd in greens in regulation percentage.
Harman hasn’t won anything yet this season, but he’s been solid all around. In his last start, Harman collected a T5 in the 2021 Travelers Championship. That’s the second time in his last three starts that he managed to crack the top 10, as he also had a T8 in the 2021 Charles Schwab Challenge late last May. Overall this season, Harman has a total of five top 10s and 11 top 25s in 22 starts, missing the cut just twice, which were also far in between. After missing the cut in the 2020 RSM Classic back in November, Harman went 11 of 11 before a missed cut in the 2021 PGA Championship last April.
Streb has regained his footing after a missed cut in the 2021 Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide. Since then, he went with a T19 in the 2021 Travelers Championship and got a T38 in the 2021 Rocket Mortgage Classic. He’s a one-time winner so far this season, as he won the 2020 RSM Classic back in November.
Stricker is also 2 of 2 over his last two starts and 4 of 5 in his last five. Over that stretch, he’s recorded a T4 in the 2021 Waste Management Phoenix Open and a T13 in The Honda Classic. Perhaps not many people remember Stricker as a three-time winner of the John Deere Classic, having won the tournament in 2009, 2010, and 2011.
