PGA Tour Golfer Withdraws Less Than 24 Hours Before John Deere Classic originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The John Deere Classic field has undergone some changes ahead of the PGA Tour tournament. Less than 24 hours before the event tees off on Thursday, the PGA Tour announced the addition of one golfer while another has withdrawn from the tournament.
Prior to the most recent news, four golfers had also withdrawn from the John Deere Classic. On Saturday, the PGA Tour announced Norman Xiong and Danny Walker as withdraws. Additionally, Aaron Baddeley withdrew on Sunday, while Davis Riley followed suit on Monday.
With the new openings, the following golfers were added to the field: Zac Blair, Matt NeSmith, James Hahn and Austin Cook.
The PGA Tour announced another late withdraw on Wednesday as Vince Covello will no longer be in the field. Instead, veteran golfer Scott Pierce will take Covello’s place at TPC Deere Run.
Ben Griffin is technically the favorite to win the John Deere Classic but is not a heavy leader in the odds at +1600, per DraftKings. Jason Day and Denny McCarthy are next line at +2500.
Fresh off his win at the Rocket Classic, Aldrich Potgieter sits at No. 8 in the John Deere Classic odds at +3500. Griffin is embracing his role as the favorite heading into TPC Deere Run.
“Yeah, it feels good,” Griffin said heading into the John Deere Classic, per PGATour.com. “I mean, it’s what every player wants.
“They want to be the hottest guy going into the event and the best player. My game feels really good and I’m excited.”
Related: Multiple PGA Tour Golfers Withdraw Days Before John Deere Classic
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
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