[PHOTO: David Berding]
The John Deere Classic is the PGA Tour’s annual birdie barrage and while there were still plenty of those to go around, it was back-nine bogeys and even a double-bogey that shaped the outcome. Eventually, it was Brian Campbell who prevailed, using a par on the first hole of a playoff with Emiliano Grillo to get the job done at TPC Deere Run for his second tour title, having won the Mexico Open earlier in the year, also in overtime.
With the final group on the 15th hole, a whopping 17 players were within two shots of the lead, albeit most having already finished. Still, it spoke to the cramped nature of the leaderboard over the final 18 holes.
Locked in a four-way tie for the lead, Campbell unloaded a 3-wood from 249 metres (272 yards) on the par-5 17th and carried it onto the green, stopping it 18 feet from the hole. The ensuing two-putt birdie broke the deadlock. Campbell’s 3-wood is Ping’s G440 LST, the low-spin version in the line. The 15-degree head is dropped to 13.5 degrees using the adjustable hosel and the 43-inch Fujikura Ventus Blue 7x shaft is tipped one inch.
It was into and on the greens where Campbell shone, ranking eighth and fifth, respectively, in strokes gained/approach and putting. Campbell picked up more than five-and-a-half shots on the field with his Ping Blueprint S irons and tacked on another 6.818 strokes on the greens with his Ping Anser 2 putter.
Since 2009, only three times had the winner not reached 20-under-par at the Deere. Campbell got to only 18-under but for him the lone number that mattered was win No.2.
“You really have to dig deep and trust yourself,” Campbell told CBS TV afterwards.
Digging deep. Seems appropriate for a tournament named after a tractor company.
The clubs Brian Campbell used to win the 2025 John Deere Classic:
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Driver: Ping G440 LST (Fujikura Ventus Black 6x), 10.5 degrees
3-wood: Ping G440 LST, 15 degrees
7-wood: Ping G430 Max, 21 degrees
Irons (4): Ping iDi; (5-PW): Ping Blueprint S
Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM10 (52, 56 degrees); Titleist Vokey WedgeWorks (60 degrees)
Putter: Ping Redwood Anser 2
