Steve Palmer's John Deere Classic final-round betting tips and preview

Golf tips, best bets and player analysis for the final round of the John Deere Classic at TPC Deere Run on the PGA Tour.

Where to watch

Sky Sports Golf, 5.30pm Sunday

Best bets

Scott Stallings to win 6.45pm twoball
2pts 10-11 bet365

Christopher Gotterup to win 5.30pm twoball
1pt 13-10 bet365

Story so far

JT Poston saw his lead reduced from four shots to three in the third round of the John Deere Classic at TPC Deere Run, Silvis, Illinois.

Poston was 11-8 favourite at the halfway stage of the tournament and has hardened to 21-20 by keeping a healthy buffer for Sunday's denouement.

The pre-tournament 45-1 chance, seeking a second PGA Tour title, is scheduled to tee off at 6.45pm UK and Ireland time in the final twoball. Scott Stallings, one of a trio of players tied for second place, will be alongside Poston.

Branden Grace was the 30-1 winner of the LIV Golf Portland event on Saturday evening. The South African overtook Carlos Ortiz to triumph by two shots.

Leaderboard
-19 JT Poston
-16 Scott Stallings, Emiliano Grillo, Denny McCarthy
-15 Callum Tarren
-14 Bo Hoag, Chris Naegel

Best prices
21-20 JT Poston, 11-2 D McCarthy, 6 S Stallings, 7 E Grillo, 16 C Tarren, 50 bar

Final-round preview

Racing Post Sport loyalty has been firmly in the camp of Denny McCarthy - a pre-tournament 28-1 recommendation - and hopes remain high that the Maryland man can become a PGA Tour champion at TPC Deere Run.

McCarthy, an emphatic winner of the 2018 Web.com Tour Championship with a 23-under-par total, has threatened his PGA Tour breakthrough all season. He is much straighter off the tee this year and can approach his mission of overturning a three-shot final-round deficit in Illinois with confidence.

McCarthy highlighted his long-game improvement by hitting all 18 greens in regulation in round three at Deere Run. Perversely, it was his trusty old putter which let him down - he did not hole as many as he usually does - but back-to-back birdies at 17 and 18 sent him to clubhouse in high spirits and in a good position for Sunday.

If McCarthy's putting form returns for the final round - he has always been one of the best rock-rollers on the circuit - then he can give JT Poston a serious challenge.

Poston is normally an effective flat-stick operator, too, but he has been generally mediocre in all departments this term. The leader has hit a little purple patch - runner-up in the Travelers Championship last week and setting the pace in Illinois - but he has missed 13 cuts this season. That frailty could be exposed in a tight finish.

Scott Stallings, who put an old set of irons into play at the Travelers Championship last week and felt immediate improvement in his traditional strength, is tied for second and also capable of troubling Poston.

It is not difficult to imagine McCarthy, Poston and Stallings battling for the title over the closing few holes. McCarthy, who can boast eight top-20s on the PGA Tour this season and finished seventh in the US Open last month, has the consistency and putting ability to edge a tight contest.

Stallings, a three-time Tour champion, seems good value for the final twoball against an inevitably nervous frontrunner. And Chris Gotterup, a powerhouse who has clearly got a big future in the game, is worth backing as an outsider against Adam Svensson (5.30pm UK and Ireland time).

A hot, sunny day with moderate breezes is forecast.

Bruce Millington and Steve Palmer will be teaming up on Sunday afternoon for a live episode of the Sweet Spot, as they take in the final round from the Irish Open. Coverage will start from 1.30pm on the Racing Post's YouTube channel.

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