Challenging Victory at John Deere Classic Ahead of European Schedule
Top Ranked Players Absent from $8 Million Prize Pool
Korean Players Lee Kyung-hoon, Kim Sung-hyun, Noh Seung-yeol Join Competition
A strong contender for the championship.
This is the evaluation of Im Sung-jae. The PGA Tour John Deere Classic (total prize money $8 million) will be held for four days starting on the 4th (local time) at TPC Deere Run (par 71, 7,289 yards) in Silvis, Illinois, USA. The PGA Tour announced the power rankings for the John Deere Classic on the 1st, predicting Im Sung-jae as the top favorite to win. Regarding Im Sung-jae, they said, "His performance in tournaments since the Masters in April has been good," and "He tied for 3rd place at the Travelers Championship, with a greens in regulation rate averaging over 83% (15/18)."
Im Sung-jae has not yet won a PGA Tour event this year. However, since the Masters, he has participated in seven tournaments and finished in the top 10 four times. Additionally, in April, he claimed the title at the KPGA Tour Woori Financial Championship.
Above all, most of the top-ranked players are absent. After the John Deere Classic, the PGA Tour shifts its main stage to Europe. The Genesis Scottish Open and The Open Championship will be held in July. In early August, the men's golf event at the Paris Olympics will take place. Leading up to the FedEx Cup Playoffs starting in mid-August, the final season tournaments are held. Given the timing before the European schedule and the relatively modest prize money, it is rare to see the names of top-ranked players.
Jordan Spieth (USA), who won this tournament in 2013 and 2015, is a strong competitor. Defending champion Jeff Straka (Austria) aims for a consecutive win. World number one Jason Day (Australia) will also participate. From Korea, besides Im Sung-jae, Lee Kyung-hoon, Kim Sung-hyun, and Noh Seung-yul will compete. Kang Sung-hoon is on the alternate list.
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