Table of Contents
By Alex Lauzon from the “Course of Life” podcast
QUAD CITY QUAINT VIBES
The PGA Tour moves its operations from one midwest metropolis to another as we’ve reached the Quad Cities area for the John Deere Classic – another midsummer fixture of a tournament that admittedly can get lost in the heat-filled malaise of this time of year. Played on a classic TPC style, clean-cut course with perfect sightlines, this event has produced champions all over the map, from a teenage Jordan Spieth in 2023 to his University of Texas teammate Dylan Frittelli in 2019, and some head-scratching winners like Lucas Glover in 2021 or Mihcael Jim from out of nowhere in 2018. Opportunity is the theme of the week for anyone who’s looking to maybe get their first or only tour win.
The Rocket Mortgage card I put out to follow my winning week at the Travelers was another banger…I don’t get to say it very often but the moment calls – I am white hot with my picks, nailing back-to-back outright winners in this very article (eight total in 2023). The theme of the last two winners (Rickie and Keegan) have been extremely overdue players that were knocking on the door of a win. Keep reading to see who busts the door down this week at the JDC.
LET THE DEERE RUN
TPC Deere Run is a classic TPC style layout, and it’s been a fixture on the PGA Tour schedule since 2000. It’s had its moments where the likes of a younger Steve Stricker or Zach Johnson could fairway and green this course to death, but recent power shifts on Tour have brought some more random names into the picture at this tourney. With it presenting around 7200 yards and no truly thick rough in sight, ample opportunities for birdies and eagles are there. It usually devolves into a putting competition, and last year’s leaderboard was a putting all-star team: J.T. Poston won, while Denny McCarthy and Maverick McNealy finished in the top 10.
The notables in this week’s field are sparse, to say the least. Led by the defending champs Poston and Quad Cities local Zach Johnson, it;’s clear that the world’s best are already mentally or physically on Britain time with The Open looming. This is a dud for big names in the field but it just means more opportunity for the sleepers we’ve been loving all season to make themselves known. Denny McCarthy, Matt Kuchar, and Nick Taylor are other notables, while Rocket Mortgage Classic champion Rickie Fowler takes a well-deserved week off before heading across the pond.
FORECASTING THE JDC
If recent champions are any indicator, we can go “off the “board” for a couple of our picks. After all, no one could have seen Lucas Glover winning in 2021 or Michael Kim in a 2018 blowout victory. While we’ll lean on those tier two players that will thrust into our tier one, it’s also a good time to pick a couple of vets who know the track well and could surprise on the greens.
1. Who’s hot and trending – recent high finishes, top-10 streaks, and consistent play are never a bad thing.
2. Horses for courses – players love certain courses and course familiarity and experience are invaluable in a field of the world’s best.
3. What the numbers tell you this week – while I’m far from analytical, there’s always a tournament darling or two scattered across the golf talk stratosphere that stuns on paper.
4. Intangibles – while this allows for theater of the mind, there’s a mysterious optimism surrounding that feels “due” or if the price looks just right for buying.
The Rocket Mortgage picks were serviceable on the whole, but when you nail the outright winner it trumps a lot of mistakes over the course of the week. It’s an A- for this past week’s picks and now we go for the three-peat in the Quad Cities.
THE PICKS
(Wanna start a Pick-X pool with your friends? Learn more here! Or, if you’re looking to start your own PGA One-and-Done pool, check those out here) (Hint: the main difference between the two is how many players you’ll pick each week)
1: Denny McCarthy – Going on the overdue player narrative, this red-hot putter has had multiple close calls recently at Travelers and Memorial, and finished in the top 10 here last year.
2: Adam Schenk – A past PGA Tour winner that’s popped up on boards recently, he had a nice top 10 last week that should propel some more good scores.
3: Emiliano Grillo – Already notched a W this season and he finished tied for second at last year’s JDC.
4: Taylor Montgomery – Back on the Taylor train for a course that fits his game well, he’ll have a lot of birdie looks from 20-30 feet which is his wheelhouse.
5: Chez Reavie – Played well enough at Travelers (a similar course fit to this week’s track), and got burned by Keegan. He feels due to crack another good showing.
6: Peter Kuest – He won hearts at Detroit as a Monday qualifier that made his biggest check ever. Now he heads to TPC Deere Run trying to lock up a temporary membership with a strong showing.
RYP One and Done Pick: Denny McCarthy
THE DEETS
Where to watch: We’re rolling with the CBS crew for one more week before The Open Championship’s arrival. Take a drink every time they mention the Quad Cities by name.
Why to watch: The John Deere is the little engine that could be on the tour and it always gives a new or young face an opportunity at a life-changing win.
What to eat: We move from Detroit style to Midwest Pizza, which is often a square slice thinner crust pie that is different from Chicago style pizza.
Purse: $7.4 million
Winner’s Share: $1.3 million
Golf FAQs
How do PGA Golf Majors Pools work?
In PGA Golf Majors Pools, member select six golfers to compete on a roster over the course of an event. The member with the best combined score from the six golfers wins.
Can you include all four majors into one pool?
Yes, but your commissioner can also customize these setting with RunYourPool. Pools can include up to all four majors, repicking golfers each time or adding bonus points for finishing positions
How do I assemble a roster?
Golfers are broken up in to six tiers, as members select one golfer per tier to be on their Major roster.
What happens to golfers who miss the cut?
Any PGA Player who does not make the cut will be given the highest score of Round 3 and Round 4, respectively.
What are the four golf majors?
The Masters is the first major of the season, in April. The PGA Championship and the U.S. Open follow, with the British Open ending as the final major.
How do PGA One and Dones work?
Members in a pool select one golfer to win a tournament, but can't pick that golfer again for the rest of the season. The member with the best score at the end of the season wins.
What is a PGA One and Done pool?
A PGA One-and-Done Pool is a contest similar to Survivor Pools, in which members can only select a golfer one time per season for events.
Which tournaments are played for PGA One and Dones?
Pool commissioners can set up the season for as many or as few tournaments as desired. Go crazy and do all of them! Or dial it back for the major events. As commissioner of a RunYourPool contest, you decide which events to play in!
How to run a weekly golf pool?
In order to run a golf pool, you must first crown yourself as Pool Commissioner. Begin by picking a game type like One and Done or Pick-X Pools. You'll want to establish rules before inviting friends, family, and colleagues to join. As commissioner, you make the rules and also need to enforce them equally and fairly.
How do golf Pick-X Pools work?
Members select a certain number of golfers per tournament, set by the pool commissioner. The member earns the total winnings that their selected golfer won for the tournament. Whichever member earns the most winnings over the duration of the season wins.
What is a golf Pick-X Pool?
A Pick-X Golf Pool calculates tournament winnings rather than strokes gained when deciding a winner. This amplifies the big name events that feature a higher prize purse.
How to run a golf pool?
How you decide to run a golf pool varies greatly depending on the game type. In each case, however, you'll want to determine the rules and settings before you begin inviting members to join you. You'll want to clearly establish how score will be kept, how tiebreakers work, and how winners are decided before anything else.
What is a prop bet?
Prop bets are any sort of pick or wager on a game that has nothing to do with the score or the final score outcome. Props can range from game types, to team types and even player types - such as who will score the game's first and last touchdowns? Other props, such as novelty or exotic, feature bets on things such as the coin flip or the Super Bowl Halftime Show.
How do Masters Prop Bets Pools work?
Pool members simply fill out a wide range of prop questions, each question worth a different value. Commissioners decide on the point value for each question, along with the amount of questions. Whichever member earns the most points based on corret answers wins the pool.
When is the Masters?
The Masters is typically in April and the first major of the golf season. The 2023 Masters is set for Thursday, April 6 and will run until Sunday, April 9.
Where is the Masters played?
The Masters is annually held at the Augusta National Golf Club located in Augusta, Georgia, USA.
