Defending champion Stricker rightful favourite for John Deere
Published:Steve Stricker is in at 7/1 to win the John Deere Classic this weekend – and even at those short odds he looks well worth a punt.
The American is not only the defending champion but he has won the event in each of the last three renewals and is the top ranked player teeing it up in Illinois.
He is 68-under par for his last three appearances and has pocketed $2.38 million in prize money.
The list of reasons why he looks good for the win goes on and on.
The 45-year-old won with a record score of 26-under par in 2010 and followed that up with a tournament score of 22-under par last year. He’s missed just one cut in 11 events this year and already has one win under his belt in 2012.
It’s incredibly hard to see beyond a win for Stricker and, strange as it may seem, the 7/1 actually offers some pretty decent value.
However, if you can’t bring yourself to back a player at such short odds, then it may be worth noting that only four players in the history of the PGA Tour have won an event four times on the bounce.
Tom Morris, Walter Hagen, Gene Sarazen and Tiger Woods have all won the same event in four consecutive seasons and, as good a golfer as Sticker is, he’s nowhere near that illustrious list in terms of ability.
Zach Johnson is the only other standout candidate at 12/1 and is playing in the tournament for the 11th consecutive year.
Although he’s never won it, he did finish third last year and is looking for his second win this season.
