John Deere Classic Favorite Among PGA Tour Golfers Who Surprisingly Miss Cut originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Sometimes, the Fourth of July fireworks arrive a day late and hit your favorite golfers square in the FedExCup standings. The John Deere Classic looked ready for a typical birdie-fest, but by Friday afternoon, some of the tournament’s top bets were already packing their bags.
The cut line danced all day between 4-under and 5-under before finally settling at 5-under, tying last year’s record. By then, a few big names had already stumbled. Ben Griffin, Sungjae Im, Jason Day and Michael Kim, all highly ranked in the FedExCup, couldn’t find enough birdies to stay alive for the weekend.
Griffin, who entered the week as the No. 6 player in the FedExCup, shocked many by missing the cut. Same for Sungjae Im (No. 24), Jason Day (No. 28) and Michael Kim (No. 30). A brutal afternoon at TPC Deere Run didn’t spare anyone. Even the course’s perfect conditions couldn’t rescue these guys.
While the favorites struggled, Doug Ghim played steady golf to hold the midway lead at 12-under. Defending champ Davis Thompson and Max Homa sit one shot back, ready for a weekend shootout.
Lucas Glover, who won here in 2021, found his groove again with a second-round 64. He’ll start the weekend six shots off the pace but with confidence brewing. “Golf course is absolutely perfect,” Glover said after his round. “Definitely shoot too low.”
The oddsmakers had the favorites riding high. According to Golf.com, Griffin opened at +1600, Day at +2200, Im at +3500 and Kim at +4500. None of them will see Sunday at Deere Run.
That’s golf for you. One day you’re a favorite. The next, you’re flying home early while the leaderboard marches on without you.
Related: Ben Griffin Reveals Unfortunate News Before Final Round of Memorial Tournament
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 5, 2025, where it first appeared.
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