The 2026 Travelers Championship wrapped up with an intense and rare playoff on Monday. Now, the PGA Tour is heading stateside for the 2026 John Deere Classic at TPC Deere Run. Before the $8.8 million tournament kicks off on Thursday, here are the top five marquee names expected to lift the trophy with the iconic leaping deer. 

Ben Griffin

PGA Tour has named Ben Griffin as the No. 1 in their power ranking to win at the rolling fairways of TPC Deere Run. Fans appear to agree, with FanDuel Sportsbook listing him at +1500 to lift the trophy. Although Griffin is still searching for his first victory of the 2026 season and has endured his share of challenges, he has put together a consistent campaign.

Across 19 starts, Griffin has recorded eight top-25 finishes, including four top-10s. Most recently, he finished tied for 10th at the 2026 Travelers Championship at 16-under 264, earning $525,000. 

He made his John Deere Classic debut in 2024 and finished T5, though he missed the cut in 2025. If Griffin can rediscover the form that fueled his 2025 breakout season, the 30-year-old has every chance to win the John Deere Classic.

Tom Kim

Next on the PGA Tour’s power rankings is three-time PGA Tour winner Tom Kim. However, fans don’t appear to agree, as he is +3000 to win behind several names. And there’s good reason behind it. The 24-year-old’s 2026 season began with some difficulty. However, his performance has since recovered, as he secured three top-15 finishes in his last five starts. 

More importantly, though, Kim managed to finish T3 at Shinnecock Hills with a 1-under-par 279. He skipped the Travelers Championship and returns on Thursday. With rest and momentum on his side, the South Korean could be the one to lift the trophy. All he has to do is avoid what happened to him in the early season.

J.T. Poston

People familiar with Kim’s finish in the U.S. Open may remember J.T. Poston. PGA Tour’s power ranking lists him third, and on FanDuel, he is a +2500 favorite. The 33-year-old has already secured his first PGA Tour win of the season at the Memorial Tournament, earning $4,000,000.

On top of that, he has finished in the top 25 twice and came in fourth place behind Kim at the U.S. Open. Not to mention, Poston won the John Deere Classic in 2022, capturing the title with a score of 21-under par. Still, things didn’t turn out too well for him at the Travelers Championship. 

He finished tied for 69th at 1-over par. The American carded a disastrous 12, a septuple bogey, on the par-5 13th hole, which dropped him down the leaderboard. 

Keith Mitchell

The PGA Tour power rankings have Keith Mitchell at No. 4, while FanDuel Sportsbook lists him at +2200 to win. Although a win has been evading the 34-year-old this season, he has put together a solid run of results in recent months. He has already recorded two top-five finishes and three top-15s.

Mitchell also impressed at Shinnecock Hills, where he finished tied for fourth with Kim. Most recently, he tied for 22nd at the Travelers Championship at 13-under 267. If he can build on that momentum and put together four strong rounds, Mitchell has a good chance of winning.

Denny McCarthy

Denny McCarthy hasn’t had the best 2026 season, but the Travelers Championship could be his springboard. PGA Tour ranks him 5th in the power rankings, with +4000 odds to win. After eight signature events, he secured his first top 25 finish, which was a T12 at the Texas Children’s Houston Open.

His last outing came at the Travelers Championship, where he finished tied for T14. But historically, the 33-year-old has performed well at the John Deere Classic, having finished T6-T6-T6-T11 since 2022. If he can continue his tradition of good performances at TPC Deere Run, along with his momentum from Travelers, he could be a top contender this year. 

That being said, there’s always the chance that a long shot manages to stun the golfing world.