John Deere Classic tips and predictions
The Punter's Preview: Back Kim to continue resurgence
Steve Rawlings: "Up until very recently, the three-time PGA tour winner, Tom Kim, who's still only 24, had been in the doldrums since he was beaten in extra time in his homeland by fellow Korean, Byeong Hun An, in the Genesis Championship in October 2024.
"Matched in-running at as low as 1.1, Kim really should have added to his already long list of global titles. He looked devasted by the defeat at the time, but it would have been unimaginable that he'd lose his form as badly has he has since that day.
"Only a couple of months earlier he'd lost a playoff to Scottie Scheffler at the Travelers Championship, an event Scottie lost in extra time on Monday, but since his narrow defeat in Korea, his seventh-place finish in the AT&T Pebble Beach in February 2025, had been in only top 10 finish until last month, when he finally showed signs of life, finishing sixth in the Myrtle Beach Classic...
"You just can't fake it at a US Open so his third at Shinnecock is an outstanding performance and a fourth PGA Tour title could well be heading his way as soon as Sunday."
Back Tom Kim
Each-way picks from 25/126.00 to 100/1101.00
Dave Tindall: "Jacob Bridgeman was one of the surprise breakout stories earlier in the year. Starting out with a fourth in the Sony Open, he reeled off eight straight top 20s of which there were some notable highlights.
"The standout was him beating a world-class field to capture the Genesis Invitational (Signature Event) at Riviera before he stayed hot with a top five at TPC Sawgrass.
"There's been an inevitable dip but he's still only missed one cut all season and there are signs his form could take an upwards curve again.
Bridgeman was 11th at the Canadian Open in mid-June (6th for SG: Approach) and after a solid 39th in the US Open he overcame a slow start to close with a pair of 66s at last week's Travelers (47th).
"The 26-year-old now returns to a course where he shot three 68s and a closing 64 to finish fifth last year on just his second John Deere appearance."
Back Jacob Bridgeman each-way (5 Places)
First Round Leader Tips from 50/151.00 to 60/161.00
Dave Tindall: "After Eric Cole landed the 50/151.00 last week, I did a little bit of research into first-round leader patterns given that he'd also topped the day one charts just two starts earlier.
"I tweeted this: "Good recent evidence that first-round leads on the PGA Tour come in bunches. Checking over the last few weeks/months and you'll find these runs:
"Cole, Spaun and Gerard - back-to-back FRLs
Clark and McCarty - 2 FRLs in 3 starts
Smalley - 2 in 4
Burns - 2 in 7
Hisatsune - 2 in 10
Theegala - 2 in 11".
"So, leaning into that idea, let's open with a bet on Emiliano Grillo, who had a piece of the first-round lead in Canada just two starts ago.
"The Argentine eventually slipped to 20th but showed his game was in good nick with a follow-up top 25 at the US Open (sixth after round three).
"And if he's going to produce another hot start, this looks an ideal venue as Grillo has played the event just three times but finished runner-up in two of them (2022 and 2025). Last year he opened with a 65.
"Grillo, who tees off at at 12:56 local from the 1st, takes the eye at 60/161.00 (1/4 Odds, 5 Places)."
Back Emiliano Grillo each-way for FRL
Course and current form stats
Course form: "A two-time runner-up here, albeit with a missed cut sandwiched between, the Argentine has an affinity for the course. Top-20 finishes at the Canadian Open and US Open mean he arrives in decent nick."
Emiliano Grillo
BMW International Open tips and predictions
The Punter's Preview: In-form Kota a great bet at 79/180.00
Steve Rawlings: "The one I like this week is another recent winner, Kota Kaneko.
"The 23-year-old Japanese, who won twice in his homeland last year, arrives in Germany with form figures reading 2-1-11 and given his second place was at the aforementioned Rinkven and that his victory in Austria was primarily down to his accurate tee game and strong putting, he looks a really good fit.
"He didn't putt very well last week when finishing 11th in Italy, ranking only 60th for Putting Average and 61st for Strokes Gained: Putting, but that was a highly irregular performance on the greens given he currently ranks first for SG: Putting on the DP World Tour this season.
"Having won in Austria, Kaneko has already qualified for the Open Championship so unlike lots of players entered here, he hasn't been playing in any of Tuesday's two-round Final Qualifiers staged at West Lancashire, Royal Cinque Ports, Dundonald Links and Burnham & Berrow, so he'll be nicely rested by Thursday."
Back Kota Kaneko
Big price tips from 119/1120.00 to 229/1230.00
Steve Rawlings: "Guido Migliozzi missed Tuesday's qualifiers and that could be a plus but I'm reluctantly leaving him out of the staking plan in favour of another that didn't play on Tuesday, South Africa's Shaun Norris, who has course form figures reading MC-5-26.
"The 44-year-old hasn't played since he missed the cut at the Japan Golf Tour Championship at the start of June, one week after he hacked up by five strokes in the Mizuno Open to claim his ninth Japan Tour victory, and two weeks after he missed the cut in the Japan PGA Championship.
"Prior to that three-week stint in Japan, Norris had finished fourth at the China Open, sixth in The Crowns (back on the Japan Tour) and second in the Catalunya Championship, so he's been in fair form for a few months now.
"Odds in excess of 200/1201.00 just don't make any sense."
Back Shaun Norris (1.5 Us)
Place order to lay 8 Us @ 10.09/1 and 12 Us @ 2.01/1
Course and current form stats
Current Form: "The Spaniard triumphed at last week's Italian Open to make it consecutive victories after his victory at the KLM Open. In this kind of form, he has a chance of completing the hat-trick, although a missed cut here last year is a worry."
Eugenio Chacarra