Underdogs Emerge at John Deere Classic

Homa, Fowler Chase First 2025 Victory

With many top golfers absent during the Fourth of July weekend, the 2025 John Deere Classic offers a prime opportunity for players seeking a breakthrough victory. After the first round, seasoned players Max Homa and Rickie Fowler are in contention for their first win of 2025.

Fowler’s Rollercoaster Round

Rickie Fowler posted a 6-under 65, positioning him three strokes behind Doug Ghim, who leads at 9 under. Fowler’s round began with a birdie-birdie-double bogey sequence. Despite an even-par 36 on the back nine, he surged on the front nine at TPC Deere Run, carding a 6-under 29.

Currently, 43% of professional golfers describe putting as the most challenging aspect of their game, according to a recent survey (PGA Tour).

Homa Finds His Groove

However, Homa outdid Fowler with an 8-under 63, placing him in a tie for second. After a difficult year, Homa seemed to rediscover his form off the tee and with his putter. Despite the low-scoring nature of the course, Homa expressed satisfaction with his complete performance.

Homa stated after the round, “It’s not going to be my lasting thought as I leave here today. I played a good round of golf; every day is different. I do feel like we found a little something with the driver, all the long clubs, and it was nice to do that for 18 full holes. I didn’t hit one crazy shot today, so that was cool.”

Pairing Up for Round Two

Homa and Fowler are set to play alongside Jake Knapp (-3) again on Friday afternoon, aiming to sustain their momentum. Homa emphasized the importance of patience on a course where winning scores typically fall well below par.

According to Homa, “Patience is very important, even when scores are really low. Look at a round like Rickie played today. He had a couple blips early and then found his swing again shot a really low number. So as much as it always feels like a track meet in your head, you look at that and it’s important to stay within yourself and stay patient because you can birdie any hole out here.”

Ghim’s Exceptional Ball-Striking

Leading the pack is Ghim, whose exceptional ball-striking led to a 62. He hit 12 of 14 fairways and 17 of 18 greens in regulation without a single bogey, despite losing strokes on the greens. If Ghim maintains his swing and improves his putting, he could secure his first PGA Tour win.

The Leader

1. Doug Ghim (-9): Despite more missed cuts than top 25 finishes this season, Ghim is coming off a T19 at the Rocket Classic. The challenge for Ghim will be maintaining this form and scoring pace throughout the weekend.

Ghim commented, “Hit it close. Hit a lot of fairways. Didn’t miss many greens. I had to chip it off a green on 17, so probably hurt the stats. Didn’t get it up and down because I had to come over the corner of the bunker,” Ghim said. “Statistically, it will look worse than probably it was. Honestly, hit it so close all day. I probably didn’t gain much any time I tapped in for birdie. I two-putted for birdie a couple times. That’s just the way the stats go sometimes. I hit it really well, holed out a wedge. Any time you can shoot 9 under and not really make a putt, it’s always a good sign.”

Contenders

T2. Max Homa, Austin Eckroat (-8)
T4. David Lipsky, Sam Stevens, Justin Lower, Michael Kim (-6)
T8. Rickie Fowler, Si Woo Kim and seven others (-6)

The morning wave benefited from softer conditions. It remains to be seen whether the late-early groups will experience the same advantage in the second round. However, early starters appear to have an edge.

Eckroat, tied with Homa at 8 under, seeks his third career win after two titles in 2024. Kim is among those at 6 under, including Fowler and Matt Kuchar, all vying for their first 2025 victories. With low scores possible at TPC Deere Run, the competition remains fierce.

Updated Odds

Odds via BetMGM

• Doug Ghim (10-1)
• Max Homa (12-1)
• Austin Eckroat (14-1)
• Kevin Yu (16-1)
• Michael Kim (16-1)
• Sam Stevens (16-1)
• Si Woo Kim (16-1)
• Denny McCarthy (20-1)
• Emiliano Grillo (25-1)
• Rickie Fowler (25-1)

Low rounds are crucial for success this week. Eckroat offers considerable value at 14-1. McCarthy, the pre-tournament favorite, is four shots back after a 66.