John Deere Classic preview: Young stars take aim at TPC Deere Run

It's the dog days of summer on the PGA TOUR, with the John Deere Classic representing the final top-field event in the United States before the Scottish Open and Open Championship across the pond.

The tough spot in the schedule usually hurts the field when it comes to top-end talent, and this year is no different with Cam Young the only top-25 player in the world teeing it up. However, the secondary level is strong, with eight players ranked between 25 and 50 in the field this week.

There's also a large collection of bright young stars, with the tournament offering invites to a number of college golf's best players this past season.

When: July 6-9
Where: TPC Deere Run, Silvis, Illinois

How to watch

Last year's result

J.T. Poston snatched the lead at the beginning with a sizzling opening-round 62 and became just the third wire-to-wire winner in the event's history. His final total of 21-under left him three clear of the field and secured his second victory on the PGA TOUR.

Poston's strong play came as TPC Deere Run yielded plenty of birdies, with the field taking advantage of the soft conditions. His final score marked the sixth time in the last eight editions of the tournament that the winning mark was more than 20-under for the week.

Recent winners

2022: J.T. Poston
2021: Lucas Glover
2020: Canceled
2019: Dylan Fritelli
2018: Michael Kim
2017: Bryson DeChambeau
2016: Ryan Moore
2015: Jordan Spieth

Featured/marquee groups

3 reasons to watch

Young's chance to right the ship

Given his breakout rookie season last year on the PGA TOUR, the smart money would have been against Cam Young being in the field this week at the John Deere. However, the 26-year-old has struggled in his second season on TOUR with zero top-30 finishes since the Masters. That poor run of form has seen him drop to 10th in the U.S. Ryder Cup standings, well behind a guaranteed spot for the top six. Young is the top-ranked player in the field this week and needs to take advantage to cement his spot on the team heading to Italy in September.

McCarthy looking for 1st win

Denny McCarthy will be looking to become the sixth man in the last 12 John Deere Classics to make the tournament their first win on TOUR. The 30-year-old has five top-10 finishes this season, including a very close call at the Memorial Tournament that resulted in a playoff loss to Viktor Hovland. McCarthy also has the added incentive of a potential Ryder Cup berth being at stake, as the American has moved up to 14th place in the U.S. standings.

College stars teeing it up

While the field lacks the top-end talent on the PGA TOUR, it does include a number of the best players from the NCAA ranks this past season. Fresh pros Ludvig Aberg, William Mouw and Ross Steelman are joined by amateurs Gordon Sargent and Michael Thorbjornsen to bring the youth star power to Illinois.

Betting odds

Cam Young +1,600
Denny McCarthy +1,600
Russell Henley +1,600
Adam Hadwin +2,200
Ludvig Aberg +2,500
Emiliano Grillo +2,800
Adam Schenk +3,000
Chris Kirk +3,300
Eric Cole +3,300
Stephan Jaeger +3,300
Taylor Moore +3,300
Adam Smalley +4,000
Byeong Hun An +4,000
Christiaan Bezuidenhout +4,000
Keith Mitchell +4,000
Nick Taylor +4,000
Patrick Rodgers +4,000
Seamus Power +4,000

Odds via theScore Bet