Opportunity knocks ahead of John Deere Classic final round

SILVIS, Ill. — When some assess the pack of pursuers trying to prevent leader J.T. Poston from going wire-to-wire to claim a second career victory in Sunday’s final round of the John Deere Classic, they might think of a famous and often-repeated line from “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.”

Who are those guys?

But while the annual PGA TOUR affair here in the heartland teed off on Thursday without recent FedExCup winners like Patrick Cantlay, Justin Thomas or even crowd favorite in these parts Jordan Spieth, one former champion echoes the thoughts of many. This field still represents the strength and depth the TOUR produces year in and year out. And come Sunday, a new star will add their name to history.

The eclectic group of 14 players who will start Sunday’s stretch run within seven shots of Poston’s 19-under 194 total have an incredible opportunity to add weight to their resumes. The storylines are endless.

With Poston included, that group owns eight career TOUR wins, and features just three players who currently rank in the top 70 in the 2021-2022 FedExCup race. It includes one sponsor’s exemption making his third professional start and a 39-year-old Monday qualifier who has made six TOUR starts in his career.

Where else can such a variety of competitors change their lives over 18 more holes of golf? It is a pack of underdogs, to be certain, but this tournament has often been a bastion of opportunity.

So says Zach Johnson, the two-time major championship winner who is arguably the most popular player in the John Deere Classic’s 51-year-history. No one has made more birdies at TPC Deere Run than Johnson.

“It’s going to be an exciting finish,” the virtual hometown hero from nearby Cedar Rapids, Iowa Johnson says. “There are some guys on that board who may not be household names right now, but they will be. The guys here are really, really good and they are hungry.”

The 2023 Ryder Cup captain won at Deere Run in 2012 where he needed to hit the shot of his life from a fairway bunker to escape journeyman Troy Matteson in a sudden-death playoff. It was the ninth victory on a 12-win resume that includes the 2007 Masters and 2015 Open Championship.

Johnson finished third or better six times in a seven-year span from 2009-2015 and while some of those years, the names at the top had a familiar ring, like Steve Stricker, others were against those taking the opportunity the Deere has presented in recent times.

A then-teenaged Spieth claimed his first TOUR title in a three-way playoff featuring Johnson and Canadian David Hearn in 2013 before Brian Harman won his first TOUR title as a 27-year-old in 2014.

Bryson DeChambeau, Michael Kim and Dylan Frittelli have all since claimed their first TOUR wins at TPC Deere Run.

Opportunity knocks again this year with a winner’s share of a $7.1 million purse, 500 FedExCup points, and a two-year TOUR exemption awaiting the last man standing. With not just playoff spots on the line, so to our valuable points for those chasing Korn Ferry Tour Finals berths.

In addition — because Johnson is the sole survivor among three men in this week’s field who already were exempt — exemptions into the 150th Open Championship two weeks hence at St. Andrews will almost certainly be awarded to win, place and show at the conclusion of Sunday’s race.

“That’s a lot of incentive,” Johnson said.

Virtually to a man, though, Poston and leaders of the pursuing pack said looking ahead to all that awaits at the finish line won’t factor — can’t factor — in their process as they take the first tee.

“You know in the back of your head that’s part of it, but I’ve been in this position before,” Poston said. “I’ve won out here before, so I’m just going to try and draw on that and not focus on all the stuff outside of what I’m doing.”

Saturday’s round gave Poston a further reminder that winning is hard. After taking a four-shot lead to the first tee, his cushion was down to a single shot with two holes to play. A clutch eagle at the 17th salvaged a 4-under round of 67 and stretched his lead back to three over Scott Stallings, Emiliano Grillo, and Saturday playing partner Denny McCarthy.

Looking to rediscover the form that produced three wins between 2011 and 2014, Stallings bagged birdies at 15, 16, and 17 to book a moving day round of 7-under 64. Grillo, who won the Fortinet Championship in 2015, birdied four of the last five holes en route to a 6-under 65. Birdies on 17 and 18 carried McCarthy to a 66.

Although he has yet to win, McCarthy came into the tournament as an early favorite with top 10 finishes at the Memorial and the U.S. Open.

Poston is in pretty fine form himself. After sharing second at last week’s Travelers Championship, he now has held the lead after all three rounds at Deere Run and will be looking to become the first wire-to-winner at the John Deere since David Frost in 1992 and just the 13th on TOUR since 2015.

Of the 11 other players within seven shots of Poston’s lead, only Aussie Cam Davis, last year’s Rocket Mortgage Classic champ, has a previous TOUR win to call upon, but Grillo knows the talent is there, star power notwithstanding.

“If you’re there after three rounds, you have enough experience, you have enough game,” Grillo said. “Everybody wants to win. Everybody wants to make the most of the opportunity. Definitely going to be a battle tomorrow.”

At 8-under through three rounds with 35 players ahead of him, Johnson doesn’t expect to be part of that battle, but he knows from experience Deere Run breeds exciting finishes.

“It’s going to come down to the last hole or two — it always does,” he said. “I’m excited. I love watching the finish here.

“The quality of golf is going to be spectacular,” Johnson added. “That’s what we have every week. That’s the difficulty. It’s impressive. That’s why the PGA TOUR is the best.”

Who are those guys? Watch and find out.