Brian Giuffra highlighted Aldrich Potgieter as a dangerous outright option following his playoff victory at last week’s Rocket Mortgage Classic. The 20-year-old South African ranks 4th on Tour in strokes gained off the tee, a key metric at TPC Deere Run where long, accurate driving consistently yields birdie chances. Giuffra noted that Potgieter already owns a win, a runner-up, and another top-10 during his rookie campaign, showing he can close and spike upside in low-scoring setups. With momentum, elite driving, and a course tailored to his strengths, Giuffra believes Potgieter can ride last week’s confidence to back-to-back wins.

Brian Giuffra suggested sprinkling Chris Gotterup at +5500 to lead after Round 1. Although Gotterup missed the cut at last year’s John Deere Classic, he opened with a 66, showing he can go low on Thursday at TPC Deere Run. Giuffra pointed out that Gotterup routinely starts hot—carding a 63 in the first round of the Puerto Rico Open—and brings plenty of firepower as one of the tour’s longest hitters. Coming off a confidence-building T23 at the U.S. Open, Giuffra sees value in banking on Gotterup’s aggressive style to post an early number before the field settles in.

Brian Giuffra endorsed Cameron Champ at +8000, noting that the three-time PGA Tour winner is trending upward and owns the skill set to overpower TPC Deere Run. Champ has posted a T9 at the RBC Canadian Open and a T19 at the Rocket Mortgage Classic in his last two starts while regaining confidence with the putter. Giuffra highlighted Champ’s elite length, his reliable flat stick, and a previous T11 finish at this event as a strong combination in a watered-down field. With full playing privileges on the line, Giuffra expects the extra motivation and course familiarity from four prior starts to translate into contention on Sunday.

Brian Giuffra backed Mark Hubbard at +5000 to win the John Deere Classic, arguing that Hubbard’s combination of recent form and course history makes him undervalued. Hubbard is fresh off a T13 at the Rocket Mortgage Classic where he gained strokes in every category, and he has already proven he can go low at birdie-fests with a T5 at the CJ Cup and T7 at the Myrtle Beach Classic. Giuffra added that Hubbard’s length and accuracy off the tee play perfectly at TPC Deere Run and pointed to his T6 here in 2023 and T13 in 2022 as evidence that he feels comfortable on the layout. With the field lacking star power, Giuffra believes Hubbard is live to break through for his first PGA Tour victory.