Draws and Fades: Can Chris Gotterup finish strong at John Deere Classic?
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Highlights | Round 2 | John Deere
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Players in This Article
TPC Deere Run turned into a scorer’s paradise once again in Round 2, providing a jam-packed leaderboard for the weekend and refusing to let anyone breathe. The story at the midway point is headlined by Lucas Glover, who impressively backed up his opening 63 with a second-round 65 to reach 14-under, giving himself a two-stroke lead with 36 holes to play in Silvis.
Lining up behind Glover is Lee Hodges, Zac Blair and a crowded pack of chasers at 10 under that includes our spotlighted draw player from yesterday, Jackson Suber. Notably, Friday didn’t produce the same wave advantage, serving as a reminder that TPC Deere Run can indeed be attacked from almost anywhere on the Saturday tee sheet.
Twelve of the 18 holes played under par on Friday, which is important because players are unlikely to go the wrong direction on the leaderboard. Rather, it provides freedom for chasers to attack a gettable golf course with an understanding that they can erase a four- or five-shot lead quickly by going on a birdie run. The bottom of the cutline (3 under) is too far to go back in search of a winner, but everyone within six to eight shots of Glover feels alive.
One player who put themself back within striking distance on Friday was Ben Griffin. He’s now six back of Glover but quietly played himself back into the top-15 mix with a quality 6-under 65 on Friday. Another clean ball-striking day and he is very much within range, but I have my eyes set on another one of the pre-tournament favorites as a “buy before the weekend” value proposition.
Updated odds to win John Deere (DraftKings)
- +295: Lucas Glover
- +740: Lee Hodges
- +1000: Ryo Hisatsune
- +1175: Jackson Suber
- +1350: Zac Blair
- +1350: Ben Griffin
- +1375: Chris Gotterup
Draw: Chris Gotterup, Top 5 (+186)
It all starts off the tee box, and while TPC Deere Run historically does not overly favor power over accuracy, it always pays to have both. Chris Gotterup leads the entire field in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee after the first two rounds, which has me deeply interested, despite sitting quietly six strokes back behind the leader.
Gotterup is only two back from being in the top five, which is a positional market worth attacking before the weekend. After an opening-round 66, Gotterup backed it up with a 68 on Friday that could have been much better. He’s not performed poorly by any stretch, and a surging low round on the weekend feels well within reach.
He has all the power needed to dismantle the par 5s and short drivable par 4s, carrying the added confidence of a two-win season already under his belt in 2026. The market may be a little sleepy given that he hasn’t fully popped yet, but that’s the value.
He’s close enough to move and proven enough that a weekend charge to victory would not feel random. I liked his odds before the tournament, and he’s currently positioned himself in the perfect spot to accept value at plus money in the top-five market.
Chris Gotterup's 125-yard approach sets up birdie on No. 5 at John Deere
Weekend fade: Zach Johnson
It was easily one of the best stories of the opening round. A 50-year-old Zach Johnson fired a 64 at TPC Deere Run, in front of a crowd that still treats him like one of their own. It generates a heartwarming rooting interest, but it is often the exact scenario in which the market overreacts and siphons value.
Friday provided the warning sign as we head into the weekend. Johnson still managed a 1-under 70, but now sits in a crowded 8-under par group that is occupied by both Griffin and Gotterup, the pre-tournament favorites to win the John Deere. Johnson ranked 91st in approach play on Friday and also lost strokes with his short game, signaling that the run doesn’t look sustainable.
The primary concern is that I simply don’t believe in the ceiling of Johnson given the makeup of this leaderboard. The course history of 10-plus years ago can inflate perception and make him a prime candidate to try and fade for the remainder of the tournament. This version of the John Deere is going to demand repeated 65-or-better type rounds, and I worry that Johnson may not have that kind of firepower left in the tank.
