Johnson, Perry head John Deere Classic
BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2007 John Deere Classic | Preview | 11 Jul 2007
Despite this week’s John Deere Classic being played just a week before the Open Championship at Carnoustie, the field assembled is quite reasonable. Headed by 2007 Masters champion, Zach Johnson, the field is minus the superstars of the game but that has become the norm given its regular place in the PGA Tour schedule around the Open Championship.
The tournament is played at the D.A. Weibring and Chris Gray designed TPC Deere Run course, which has played host to the event since 2000 just a year after being opened.
Kenny Perry perhaps deserves to be the favourite ahead of Johnson given that Perry seems to have rediscovered his old form in recent weeks. Perry has not played this event since 1999 so will actually be playing this course in tournament play for the first time this week.
Johnson has played here the last five years with mixed results and since his win at Sugarloaf he has been struggling to find the sort of form he was displaying earlier in the year. He is a class act however and might just bounce back.
Lucas Glover has not had much success at this golf course in terms of where he has finished events but he has put together several very good rounds and has played well in recent weeks. His 12th placed finish at Congressional and 10th at the Buick has him on track for a very good week.
Anthony Kim is an outstanding young talent who, in his rookie season, is already proving just how good he is and highlighting just what his potential might be. He is one of the highest earning rookies.
Brandt Snedeker is another rookie and fist timer at this event who is on the verge of his first win on the PGA Tour. He is having a fine first season with nearly US$1.5 million to his credit already. His 8th placed finish last week in Maryland was against a very strong field and he faces a much easier task this week in that regard.
John Senden is the defending champion but is perhaps playing here with mixed emotions in some respects. He no doubt feels an obligation and desire to play the event as the defending champion but he might also have his thoughts on a trip across the Atlantic to Carnoustie next week after having qualified to play that tournament for the third time just a week or so ago. His form at present however is generally not as good as it was last year leading into this week.
Bernhard Langer has played here just once previously but did very well when 10th in 2003. The 49 year old is on the verge of senior status but he is playing as well at present as he has in some time. His runner up finishes at the Colonial and BMW in Germany recently against stronger fields than this have him as a perhaps unlikely but possible winner this week.
Australians other than the defending champion include Peter Lonard, Nathan Green, Andrew Buckle, Stephen Leaney, Gavin Coles, Jarrod Lyle, Michael Sim, Paul Sheehan, Paul Gow and recently turned professional Bronson La Cassie.
La Cassie is an interesting entrant. The former Brisbane golfer has done well in one or two mini tour events of late after a collegiate career at the University of Minnesota. He gains a start here as an invite and his development as a professional golfer will be watched with interest. He has come ahead in leaps and bounds since leaving Brisbane for Minneapolis St Paul in 2003.
