John Deere Classic Preview

With the AT&T National over and the British Open at St. Andrews just around the corner, the PGA Tour heads to TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Ill. for the John Deere Classic.

At the AT&T National at Aronomink, Justin Rose won his second event in a month, and it could have been his third had he not fumbled away a three-stroke lead in the final round of the Travelers Championship.

As many top players are off or overseas this week to prepare for St. Andrews, defending champion Steve Stricker highlights the field at TPC Deere Run. Before the Tour heads across the pond for the year's third major, let the FanHouse team give you the scoop of this week's John Deere Classic.

FLASHBACK TO GREATNESS

Stricker had more staying power than anybody else last year.

Playing a final-day 36 holes because of weather delays, Stricker followed a TPC Deere Run course record-tying 61 in the second round with scores of 68 and 64. He finished 20 under and won by three shots.

The victory was Stricker's second of three wins he earned last year. "I've just given myself a lot of chances to win," said Stricker. "Some didn't go my way and some have."

This one did because he showed the poise and buried enough shots to hold off a tight field. Local favorite Zach Johnson (weekend scores of 64, 66), Brandt Snedeker (68, 65) and Brett Quigley (62, 67) all tied for second at 17 under.

Stricker's biggest challenge, though, came from Tim Petrovic, who was in his group and was two strokes off the lead heading into the 36th and final hole of the day. But he hit the pond on No. 18 and double-bogeyed the hole, leaving him at 16 under.
-- Mick Elliott

TIGER'S TRIBULATIONS

Yeah, Tiger is looking very average. The aura is missing and his game has been anything but fearsome. So, go ahead and pile on while you can.

It's not going to last. Woods is starting to hit good shots. Granted, not enough of them, but he will. And soon.
-- Elliott

Tiger spent the week in Ireland playing in a celebrity match in, of all places, Limerick, where he endeared himself to the Irish media with terse one-word answers and angry glares in response to questions about his personal life. If only there was a tournament in Nantucket ...
-- Matt Romanoski

What happened at AT&T? Forget the fact that it was played at a different course than last year, Tiger couldn't even break par in a single round at his own event. His 73-70-70-71 284 scorecard was the first time he hasn't shot below par since the 1999 Arnold Palmer Invitational. If nothing else, it's become clear that Woods can't clean up his life and golf game at the same time. Once the dust settles on his divorce, which reportedly involves a $100 million settlement to Elin Nordegren, we'll start to see the No. 1 golfer start to play like his rank again.
-- Chris Sesno

QUICK FIX

The story that goes with TPC Deere Run is pretty cool. The land's past includes Native American settlements, farming operations, and, most recently, one of the top horse-and-cattle breeding programs in the country.

The signature hole at the TPC Deere Run is the 16th and is named "Mother Earth." Views like the ones from the 16th tee represent the types of features that have drawn people to this property for centuries. Archaeological evidence indicates Native Americans settled and lived on this property as far back as 5,000 years ago. The 16th hole is dedicated to these early inhabitants, to pay tribute to the spirit of respect and competition they first brought there.
-- Elliott

The PGA takes a backseat to the European Tour as many of the top players -- Phil Mickelson, Lee Westwood, Graeme McDowell and Y.E. Yang to name a few -- are prepping for the British Open at the Barclays Scottish Open at Loch Lomond. Not to be outdone, the Deere counters with David Lutterus, Michael Sim, Graham DeLaet and Brendon deJonge.
-- Romanoski

Deere Run might as well put a sign up at the gates saying "Beware the Turn." This will at least give players some sort of heads up on the brutal hole 9, a 503-yard par-4 that's certainly the hardest hole on the course. With a narrow fairway and a long approach fended off by bunkers on either side of the green, don't expect to see too many chances for two-putt pars.
-- Sesno

STARS AND STINKERS



Share The course begs for birdies. It ranked 43rd out of 54 courses used on the PGA Tour last year in difficulty. So a birdie-making, machine-line, long-hitting Dustin Johnson should be one of the favorites. Or he could still be suffering from the final-round flameout at the U.S.. Open.

It's going to take a while for Johnson to shake off his final-round 82 at Pebble Beach. He's still wounded.

In contrast, Charlie Wi has to feel great about his game. The unknown South Korean is a long-time journeyman without a tour victory, but it he can carry over last week's game at AT&T, that could change.
-- Elliott

It would really be nice to see Rickie Fowler step up against a below-average field and win that first pro title. He followed up three straight top-15 finishes (including a second at the Memorial) with a missed cut last week at the AT&T, so where he's at at this point is anyone's guess.
-- Romanoski

Every time Fowler shows signs of life, he sputters out right after. In three out of five of his top-10 finishes this year, he has missed the cut in the next event he enters. He finished T13 at Travelers after just coming up short (2nd) at Memorial, only to miss the cut last week at AT&T after a dismal Friday round.

So where does that leave him this week? Well, at a course that demands accuracy off the tees, Fowler's mediocre 63.19 percent of fairways hit may be enough for him to make the cut, but probably not enough to be in contention come Sunday.
-- Sesno

WHO'S HOISTIN'?

Nobody will be more popular and feel more at home this week than Zach Johnson -- because he's pretty much a hometown hero. The former Masters champ tied for second last year, and he'll be back for more this week.
-- Elliott

Steve Stricker is the defending champ and the highest-ranked player in the field. But a sore shoulder has pretty much relegated him to afterthought status this year. After the fourth-ranked Stricker, you have to drop 15 spaces in the world rankings, before you get to the second-highest ranked player in the field, No. 19 Zach Johnson. That, the aforementioned poor field and the fact that Johnson was on Stricker's heels here last year, finishing T2, makes him the pick.
-- Romanoski

Nobody has been talking about Tim Clark since he won The Players, but he's missed only two cuts this year, has been lighting up fairways (hitting 72.62 percent) and putting out of his mind. If he can continue those trends at TPC Deere Run, the 20th-ranked golfer will have the recipe for success.
-- Sesno