Golf
John Deere Classic 2026 Predictions: Ben Griffin 14/1 To Contend
Ben Griffin, Tom Kim and Keegan Bradley all arrive at the John Deere Classic with the right blend of form, stats and course fit to make serious noise at TPC Deere Run – and their William Hill News prices reflect that upside.
Griffin leads this trio at 14/1, with Kim 22/1 and Bradley 25/1, all sitting in the sweet spot for outright and each‑way interest in a birdie‑fest week.
Ben Griffin – 14/1
Griffin looks every inch a readymade favourite this week. The three‑time 2025 winner is knocking on the door again with four top‑10 finishes in his last seven starts and positive strokes gained numbers in every department.
Across his recent run he paces this field in true strokes gained tee‑to‑green and sits 12th in approach over his past four events, a combination tailormade for a low‑scoring test.
The course fit case is just as strong. Griffin finished T5 at TPC Deere Run in 2024, already proving he can go low here, and he ranks fifth in adjusted scoring average this season, underlining how often he turns opportunities into birdies.
With that level of ball striking and a proven record at the event, 14/1 is a fair price on a player many models have as the most likely winner.
Tom Kim – 22/1
Tom Kim brings major level momentum into a course that suits his strength: accuracy. His third place finish at the 2026 U.S. Open at Shinnecock two weeks ago followed a T‑15 in Canada, showing a player trending up against elite fields.
Earlier in his PGA Tour career he announced himself at Sedgefield in 2022, winning after arriving around the 35/1 mark on the back of superb tee‑to‑green and a hot putter – exactly the recipe needed here too.
Kim is one of the Tour’s best “target golf” merchants, combining fairway finding off the tee with dialled in approaches. On a wedge heavy layout like Deere Run, that profile is lethal if the putter cooperates.
Taking the momentum from Shinnecock Hills and recent top‑20s, 22/1 looks like a strong value number for a player perfectly built to handle a low scoring shootout.
Keegan Bradley – 25/1
Bradley’s year has been a story of a slow start followed by a clear upturn. After failing to post a top‑25 in his first seven events of 2026, he turned things around at The Masters (21st) and has since stacked finishes of 12th at the RBC Heritage, 19th at the Truist Championship, 19th at the Memorial and 14th in defence of his Travelers title.
The driver has stayed solid, but the irons have really spiked: he ranks around 10th in Strokes Gained: Approach over the last three months, and his eight PGA Tour wins include two Travelers titles on bentgrass where he’s shown he can win big in the summer birdie fests.
His last Deere appearance a decade ago yielded only 22nd, but current form and a proven habit of contending on similar surfaces suggest he’s well placed to improve sharply.
