Davis Thompson Wins the John Deere Classic with a Dramatic Finish
SILVIS, Ill. – Davis Thompson secured a crucial birdie on the 18th hole on Saturday, overcoming the intense competition that kept ten players tied at the top. His outstanding round of 67 strokes, on a considerably more challenging golf course, secured him a one-stroke lead at the John Deere Classic. Thompson was among the five leaders as he prepared for his final putt, just after Brian Campbell holed a 30-foot birdie. His final birdie led him to a total of 15 under par, 198 strokes, surpassing by one stroke Campbell, Max Homa, Emiliano Grillo and David Lipsky, all with 68 strokes. The leader of the first 36 holes, Doug Ghim, failed to maintain the pace, adding two bogeys and no birdies in the last ten holes, finishing with 74 strokes and falling out of the top 20. Thompson closed with consecutive birdies, although he did not achieve an eagle on the 17th hole. He will seek to become the first player to win the John Deere Classic consecutively since Steve Stricker, who achieved three straight victories between 2009 and 2011. In addition, Thompson has the opportunity to secure a place in the British Open, as a victory would position him at the top of the alternate list according to the world ranking.Camilo Villegas (69) and Austin Eckroat (67) are three strokes away, while Matt Kuchar (67) and Auburn’s young Jackson Koivun are four strokes behind the leader. A total of thirteen players are within four strokes of the top. Of the top 14 players, only Lipsky, Koivun, and Kevin Roy still haven’t won on the PGA Tour. Homa, for his part, is looking to recover from a slump that has kept him out of the PGA Tour playoffs this year. Homa kept his game steady, even after an unusual mistake. He managed to save par from off the green on the 10th hole and took advantage of the holes with scoring opportunities in the second half of the round for his round of 68. Homa’s last victory on the PGA Tour was in January 2023 at Torrey Pines. This year he has faced criticism for his poor performance, with more than a year without finishing in the top ten, in addition to changing coaches, equipment and caddies.It’s good to have momentum for tomorrow.
Thompson
This year’s TPC Deere Run presented different conditions than the first two rounds. Tee times were moved up to avoid storms, and the warm weather and wind hardened the greens. In addition, several flags were placed in tricky positions, penalizing mistakes. Nobody managed a round lower than 66 in the third round, unlike the first two rounds where there were 28 rounds of 65 strokes or less.Golf has been very boring for me this year. I haven’t had much stress, and you want to be stressed. So I look forward to the butterflies in the morning; I look forward to the first tee shot. It’s good to feel that again. It’s been a while.
Homa
Koivun, four strokes off the lead, still has the opportunity for an amateur to win for the second consecutive year on the PGA Tour. Nick Dunlap won The American Express in January of last year and then turned professional. Koivun has already secured a PGA Tour card through the PGA Tour University accelerated program, but will postpone it to return to Auburn.It certainly makes Sunday fun when several players have chances.
Kuchar
It’s very inspiring to see what he did about a year ago. Obviously, being one of the few (amateurs) to win a professional event would be great. At the end of the day, I just have to give my best and be happy with the result.
Koivun
