SILVIS, Ill. — The John Deere Classic has produced the most first-time winners of any event on the PGA Tour since 1970.
A total of 24 players have secured their first victory at TPC Deere Run, including the likes of Roger Maltbie (1975), David Toms (1997) and a 19-year-old Jordan Spieth (2013). Even one of the designers of TPC Deere Run, D.A. Weibring, is a first-timer at the John Deere (he actually won the JDC three times, all at Oakwood Country Club).
It’s become a haven for young, talented golfers to break into the winner’s circle and stamp their name as a future star. So could we see it again this year?
There’s certainly a good chance.
With 36 holes in the books, let’s take a look at who could join the first-time winners club at the 2025 John Deere Classic.
Doug Ghim
Position after second round: Leader (12 under)
The 29-year-old PGA Tour veteran is seeking his first victory in 162 starts. Ghim shot 9-under 62 on Thursday and followed it up with a 68 on Friday. The Illinois native is feeling right at home, just a few hours-drive away from his hometown in the Chicago area. Ghim has two top 5 finishes and four top 10s in his seven-year career on Tour.
David Lipsky
Position after second round: T2 (11 under)
Lipsky has quietly put together a really solid career since turning pro in 2011, but he’s still looking for that elusive first win. He has 12 top 10s and four top 5s to his name – his best finish coming at the Procore Championship in September 2024 where he was runner-up. Lipsky shot 7-under 64 Thursday and stayed in contention with a 67 in the second round.
Taylor Montgomery
Position after second round: T7 (10 under)
Montgomery missed every cut in five starts between March 30 and May 11 before finishing T36 at the RBC Canadian Open in early June. Now, he finds himself with a chance to nab his first win. The 30-year-old from Las Vegas shot 4-under 67 Thursday and followed it with a 65 Friday, which included eight birdies. Montgomery has flirted with victory before. He has five top 10s and three top 5s in his eight season on Tour.
Sam Stevens
Position after second round: T7 (10 under)
Stevens is another player who has been knocking on the door of the winner’s circle for quite some time now. In 88 starts on Tour, he’s amassed two runner-up finishes, five top 5s and nine top 10s. That includes a solo runner-up at the Farmers Insurance Open and a solo third place finish at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. Could this be the week the 28-year-old Texan finishes the job?
Kevin Roy
Position after second round: T7 (10 under)
Roy set the course record at Detroit Golf Club with a 62 in the first round of the Rocket Classic last week. That stood for less than 24 hours, but he seems to have carried that form into the John Deere Classic, where he shot 4-under 67 Thursday and followed it with a 65 Friday. Roy is 36 years old and has just three top 10 finishes in 49 starts on the PGA Tour.
Jackson Koivun (a)
Position after second round: T16 (8 under)
Wouldn’t this be something? Jackson Koivun could become just the fourth amateur to win on the PGA Tour since 1957. Nick Dunlap did it at the American Express in 2024, becoming the first amateur winner since Phil Mickelson won the Northern Telecom Open in 1991 to win a PGA Tour event when he came out victorious at the American Express in 2024. Koivun, the No. 1 ranked amateur in the world who plans to return to Auburn University this fall for his junior season, shot bogey-free 64 Friday to enter the weekend just four shots back of the lead at the John Deere Classic.
Denny McCarthy
Position after second round: T16 (8 under)
Of all the players on this list, McCarthy is the most accomplished. He has 29 top 10 finishes, nine top 5s and a runner-up. But he still hasn’t won. That could change at TPC Deere Run, where McCarthy shot 66 and 68 in the first and second round, respectively. And if you’re the superstitious type, it’s important to note that McCarthy is staying in the “Trophy House” — an Airbnb near the golf course where the last three John Deere Classic champions have stayed: Davis Thompson (2024), Sepp Straka (2023) and J.T. Poston (2022).
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