John Deere Classic 2012: Leaderboard Updates, Highlights and More
The PGA Tour will go to Illinois this week for the 2012 John Deere Classic, where Steve Stricker will attempt to defend his title and earn his second tournament victory of 2012.
Notable golfers such as Kyle Stanley, Blake Adams, Charles Howell III and John Daly will start their first round on Thursday at the TPC Deere Run. Tiger Woods is among the star players who will not take part in the John Deere Classic this week.
Check back here for daily leaderboard updates, video highlights and more from TPC Deere Run.
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Update: July 15, 2012 at 6:45 p.m. EST by Tim Keeney
The final round of the John Deere Classic might just go down as the most exciting finish in golf all year.
Trailing Zach Johnson by two strokes with two holes to go, things looked bleak for Troy Matteson, who led throughout the entire tournament.
But a 60-foot putt on the par-5 17 gave Matteson an amazing eagle that tied things all up between the two at 20-under.
The first playoff hole was on No. 18, and both players found their way into the drink (seriously, first playoff hole. Both players in the water. I just felt that needed repeating). Matteson and Johnson managed to "grab" double-bogeys and the playoff continued again at No. 18.
This time, after his drive went into the bunker, Johnson figured it was time to stop playing around. He sent a 194-yard shot from the sand to within inches of the hole in what will go down as one of the best shots of the year.
After Matteson parred, Zach Johnson tapped in his birdie to win the John Deere Classic, his second win of the season.
Final Leaderboard
| Position | Player | Score | Thru |
| 1 | Zach Johnson | -20 | F |
| 2 | Troy Matteson | -20 | F |
| 3 | Scott Piercy | -18 | F |
| 4 | John Senden | -17 | F |
| T5 | Steve Stricker | -16 | F |
| T5 | Luke Guthrie | -16 | F |
| 7 | Scott Brown | -15 | F |
| T8 | Kevin Streelman | -14 | F |
| T8 | Lee Janzen | -14 | F |
| T8 | Ryan Moore | -14 | F |
------End of Update-------
UPDATE: Saturday, June 14 at 7:00 p.m. ET by Richard Langford
Troy Matteson continued his assault on TPC Deere Run by firing a five-under 66 to open up his lead to three strokes. Defending champ Stricker kept pace with him by matching his 66, and he is now alone in second place after his fine Saturday round.
Matteson is in a position to run away with this event, and claim his third Tour victory, but if he slips at all, things will get wild on Sunday. There are 12 golfers who are at at least 12-under.
Leaderboard After Round 3
| Position | Player | Score |
| 1 | Troy Matteson | -18 |
| 2 | Steve Stricker | -15 |
| T3 | Zach Johnson | -14 |
| T3 | Brian Harman | -14 |
| T5 | John Senden | -13 |
| T5 | J.J. Henry | -13 |
| T5 | Billy Hurley III | -13 |
| T8 | Robert Gates | -12 |
| T8 | Scott Piercy | -12 |
| T8 | Jamie Lovemark | -12 |
| T8 | Chris DiMarco | -12 |
| T8 | Gary Christian | -12 |
In case you are doubting Stricker's ability to make a Sunday run, he has shown he can make up strokes in a hurry at this course. Just check out this shot from the opening round.
------End of Update-------
Update: July 13, 2012 at 9:20 p.m. EST by Ben Chodos
Troy Matteson kept his lead at the John Deere Classic in Illinois, but Jeff Maggert and Brian Harman are nipping at his heels. A rain delay stopped play for a brief period, but all the action from the second day of the tournament is done.
Matteson held a three-stroke lead after an impressive first round in which he birdied ten holes and did not have a single bogey. But he shot three strokers under par today and now, with a score of -13, he is only one stroke ahead of the two players tied for second.
Maggert shot the best round of any player in Round 2, going nine under par to bring his total score to -12.
Steve Stricker, who won the tournament last year and is the 13th ranked golfer in the world, is currently tied for eight place with a score of -10.
Day 2 Leaderboard
| Position | Player | Score | Thru |
| 1 | Troy Matteson | -13 | F |
| T2 | Jeff Maggert | -12 | F |
| T2 | Brian Harman | -12 | F |
| T4 | Robert Garrigus | -11 | F |
| T4 | Gary Christian | -11 | F |
| T4 | Ricky Barnes | -11 | F |
| T8 | J.J. Henry | -11 | F |
| T8 | Steve Stricker | -10 | F |
| T8 | Tommy Biershenk | -10 | F |
| T8 | Lee Janzen | -10 | F |
------End of Update-------
Update: July 12, 2012 at 8:30 p.m. EST by Tim Keeney
Troy Matteson pulled out to a huge lead after he tallied an amazing 10 birdies and eight pars for a 10-under 61. After just one day, the American leads by three strokes.
Trailing Matteson at TPC Deere Run are Ricky Barnes (-7), Robert Garrigus (-6) and Scott Piercy (-6).
Notable players who are near the top of the Fed-Ex Cup standings and are playing in this tournament include Zach Johnson and Carl Pettersson, who are both in the top 10.
Both men appear ready to hold their place in the standings, as they both shot a 3-under 68, which has them in a tie for 39th place in the tournament.
Day 1 Leaderboard
| Position | Player | Score | Thru |
| 1 | Troy Matteson | -10 | F |
| 2 | Ricky Barnes | -7 | F |
| T3 | Scott Piercy | -6 | F |
| T3 | K.J. Choi | -6 | F |
| T3 | Steve Stricker | -6 | F |
| T3 | Luke Guthrie | -6 | F |
| T3 | Gary Christian | -6 | F |
| T3 | Robert Garrigus | -6 | F |
| T3 | Brian Harman | -6 | F |
| T10 | Bill Lunde | -5 | F |
------End of Update-------
Where: TPC Deere Run, Silvis, Ill.
When: Thursday, July 12 through Sunday, July 15
TV Schedule
| Round | Time (ET) | TV Info |
| 1 | 3 p.m. through 6 p.m. | Golf Channel |
| 2 | 3 p.m. through 6 p.m. | Golf Channel |
| 3 | 3 p.m. through 6 p.m. | CBS |
| 4 | 3 p.m. through 6 p.m. | CBS |
Round 1 Tee Times for Notable Players
| Time (ET) | Golfer | Golfer | Golfer |
| 7:30 a.m. | Zach Johnson | Nick Watney | Ted Potter Jr. |
| 7:40 a.m. | Rory Sabbatini | Charley Hoffman | Scott Piercy |
| 7:40 a.m. | Matt Bettencourt | Derek Lamely | Stuart Appleby |
| 12:45 p.m. | Camilo Villegas | Kyle Stanley | Steve Stricker |
| 1:25 p.m. | Blake Adams | Ryan Moore | J.J. Henry |
Tee Times for all players can be found at PGATour.com
Prediction
Kyle Stanley is my pick to win the 2012 John Deere Classic. He has one victory and two top-10 finishes in 2012.
If he can enter the third round with a lead, Stanley will have the confidence needed to win this tournament and gain some momentum for the remainder of the summer. Putting well will be the make-or-break factor for Stanley at the TPC Deere Run.
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