Fantasy Golf Sleeper Report – John Deere Classic

2022 John Deere Classic Fantasy Sleeper Report

There will be plenty who chastise Xander Schauffele for not winning enough on the PGA TOUR.

And maybe they’ve got a point, because the 28-year-old has just as much talent as many of those of a similar age that have gone on to bigger and better things.

But Schauffele has an Olympic gold medal – not many golfers can say that – and he now has six PGA TOUR titles to his name after prevailing at the Travelers Championship.

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He held firm while those around him lost their minds – including, most notably, Sahith Theegala, who love to hit his drive on the 72nd hole again, no doubt. It put to bed those accusations that Schauffele is a choker, that’s for sure, when you watch back the granite drive that split the fairway and stiffed approach to three feet.

He’s one of the players that will certainly be of interest at the British Open in a couple of weeks, but in the meantime there’s the John Deere Classic to enjoy.

This is a strange old event. Not aided by its scheduling, in fairness, this is a tournament that has been won by 55/1 (Lucas Glover), 75/1 (Dylan Frittelli) and 200/1 (Michael Kim) chances in the past three years, so fans of long odds bets will certainly be licking their lips with interest.

The chances of an outsider winning the John Deere Classic have arguably been enhanced by the withdrawal of Daniel Berger, with the likes of Webb Simpson, Adam Hadwin and Theegala leading the way at the sportsbooks. Like we say, this isn’t a vintage renewal by any means.

So who will win it? Well, it will surely be somebody who putts well, because tee-to-green brilliance has rarely been required at TPC Deere Run, a 7,268 yard Par 71 that really doesn’t have many features to speak of.

There’s bunkers and water is in play on five holes, but the fairways are wide open and the Bentgrass greens are receptive, so there really is little to worry about – apart, perhaps, from a strong breeze which has been forecast for Thursday.

So there’s birdies galore out there, and those are in large supply on the three Par 5s and the Par 4 fourteenth, which with a forgiving wind can be reached from off the tee 360 yards away.

There’s not a great deal else to go on, although similarities with TPC Twin Cities – home to the 3M Open – can be seen visually and also in the typical approach distances that the players will be faced with. 

So that’s the lowdown, but without further ado let’s get into our five picks who could add to the rich history of long odds winners at the John Deere Classic.

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Sleeper Report Predictions This Season (2021-2022)

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