It’s fireworks time at the TPC Deere Run.
The PGA Tour has Fourth of July week all to itself with the John Deere Classic beginning on Thursday. But just because it owns the golf calendar doesn’t mean a field full of fireworks: Defending champion Sepp Straka is the highest-ranked player in the field at 24th in the world, followed by Sungjae Im at 29th and Jordan Speith at 32nd.
The winner on Sunday should plan on being deep in red numbers. Eleven of the last 14 winners of the tournament have posted 72-hole scores of 20-under or lower, led by Michael Kim’s 27-under in 2018, which won by eight shots. Straka shot 21-under.
Spieth and Johnson have won the tournament twice each and other winners in recent years have been other major champions Bryson DeChambeau, Brian Harman and Lucas Glover.
The rest of the major golf tours will return to action next week, including major championships on the LPGA and PGA Tour Champions.
PGA Tour: 4th of July at Deere Run
Event: John Deere Classic, Thursday-Sunday, TPC Deere Run, Silvis, Ill.
What’s the purse? $8 million ($1,440,000 and 500 FedEx Cup points to the winner).
Who won last year? Sepp Straka.
How to watch on TV: Golf Channel (Thursday-Friday, 4-7 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 1-3 p.m.); CBS (Saturday-Sunday, 3-6 p.m.).
Area players entered: Tyson Alexander, Bud Cauley, Adrien Dumont de Chassart, Nico Echavarria, Ben Griffin, Lanto Griffin, Zach Johnson, Patton Kizzire, Russel Knox, Ben Kohles, Keith Mitchell, Raul Pereda, J.T. Poston, Jimmy Stanger, Davis Thompson, Carl Yuan.
Notable: Straka, a University of Georgia graduate who grew up in Valdosta, Ga., shot 62 in the final round and beat Brendon Todd and Alex Smalley by two shots. … Johnson is the host of the tournament, which was once called the Quad Cities Open. … The Tour moves to the British Isles for the next two weeks at the Scottish Open, then the Open Championship at Royal Troon, the final major of the season.
LIV Golf League
Next event: LIV Golf Valdearrama, Spain. July 12-14.
Notable: LIV Golf League members eligible for the British Open will get their tune-up at the site of the 1997 Ryder Cup.
LPGA Tour
Next event: Evian Championship, Evian-les-Bains, France, July 11-14.
Notable: Since becoming an LPGA major in 2013, the Evian has been won by players from eight countries and from six in the last six years. Defending champion Celene Boutier is the first player from France to win it.
PGA Tour Champions
Next event: Kaulig Companies Championship, July 11-14, Akron, Ohio.
Notable: The winner gets a berth in The Players Championship next March.
Korn Ferry Tour
Next event: The Ascendant, July 11-14, TPC Colorado.
Notable: Only one past winner, Will Zalatoris in 2020, has gone on to win on the PGA Tour.
What are the (golf) odds?
PGA Tour: SungJae Im is the favorite in the John Deere Classic at +1500, despite having never finished among the top 20 at Deere Run in two starts. He is ranked 29th in the world but has been on a roll of sorts. In his las six starts he’s missed two cuts but finished among the top 10 four times.
Straka is +1600, Jordan Spieth, Denny McCarthy and Aaron Rai are +2000, and Davis Thompson and Maverick McNealy are +2250.