2025 John Deere Classic leaderboard, grades: Brian Campbell notches second career PGA Tour win in five months

Campbell doubled up a victory at the Mexico Open with another in Chicagoland

Move over and make room for another multiple-event winner on the PGA Tour this season. Brian Campbell emerged from a crowded leaderboard and a playoff amid scattered rain showers Sunday at TPC Deere Run to claim the 2025 John Deere Classic at 18 under. Campbell made par on the first extra hole to grab the trophy and reign victorious over Emiliano Grillo, the co-leader after 72 holes.

The victory marks the second of Campbell's career with both coming in the last five months. His prior triumph occurred at the Mexico Open in February. It took Campbell 187 PGA Tour-sanctioned starts to raise his first trophy and only another 13 to lift his second.

In between the two starts, Campbell collected no finish better than a T32, which he accomplished in back-to-back weeks at the Masters and RBC Heritage. No matter, with his latest entrance into the winner's circle, he joins Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, Ben Griffin, Sepp Straka and Ryan Fox as players to win multiple times this season.

Campbell climbs from just inside the top 60 to No. 28 in the FedEx Cup standings, giving him the inside path to qualify for the Tour Championship. For the second straight season, he will be invited to the Masters, the PGA Championship and The Players Championship. If he maintains his place inside the top 50 and qualifies for the BMW Championship, he will earn spots into all of the signature events in 2026 as well.

Beginning the day among the logjam at 14 under -- one stroke off the pace of 54-hole leader Davis Thompson -- Campbell cruised into his final round. A couple of early birdies on his front nine allowed him to keep pace with his counterparts, but it wasn't until he made the turn that he his presence was fully known.

Making three birdies in the first four holes of his inward nine, Campbell seized control of the tournament and grabbed the solo lead heading down the home stretch of TPC Deere Run. With his name sitting atop the leaderboard by itself, the 32-year-old put one of the worst swings of the day on his drive on the par-4 15th, which led to a double bogey and surrendered his edge over Grillo.

The Argentinian was unable to press his position, however, as he missed a close birdie bid on No. 14 and a 5-foot par save on the next to drop back next to Campbell at 17 under. Matching birdies on the 71st hole pushed both of their names to 18 under, and matching pars down the last set their date for extra holes.

On the first playoff hole, Campbell needed no aid from a tree like in his victory in Mexico and split the fairway with his tee shot. An aggressive second left him 16 feet for birdie and applied pressure on Grillo, who was out of position. His hand forced, Grillo saw his second soar long of the green and set up an impossible up-and-down.

With his competitor in for bogey, Campbell cozied up his birdie putt and tapped in for par for his second playoff victory this season and his second in a long journey to become a multi-time winner on the PGA Tour. Grade: A+

Here are the rest of the notable names on the leaderboard at the 2025 John Deere Classic.

2. Emiliano Grillo (-18): The playoff performance was uninspiring, but it should not take away from an otherwise stellar week from Grillo. With four top 25s in his last five starts, the smooth-swinging right hander finally got the most out of his game at a rather crucial time. Standing at No. 105 in the FedEx Cup standings at the onset of the week, Grillo jumps inside the top 70 with the postseason fast approaching. Grade: A

T5. Max Homa (-16): Beginning the final round one stroke off the pace, Homa quickly asserted himself with three straight birdies across his first four holes. This was enough to push his name to the top of the leaderboard by itself, but it was slow burn from there. Two bogeys to close out his front nine saw Homa drift three strokes off the pace around the turn and proved too much to overcome. Still, there are so many positives to pick from the six-time winner's performance at TPC Deere Run. His ball striking was largely terrific with his driver holding its own across three days. That club let him down slightly on the final round, but the result marks his first top 10 of the season and pushes inside the top 100 in the FedEx Cup. Grade: A

T11. Denny McCarthy (-15): The first PGA Tour victory will have to wait another week. McCarthy was unable to get things going in his middle rounds to make a real move up the leaderboard and spent most of the week on the second and third pages before a final-round flurry catapulted him into the top 15. That is now four straight top-15 finishes at TPC Deere Run for the putting maestro as his iron play continues to improve and set up his biggest weapon with more and more birdie looks. Grade: A-

T11. Si Woo Kim (-15): Another week in which Kim was befuddled with the putter in hand. The South Korean switched out a traditional blade for a broomstick amid tournament action and was met with some better results -- albeit not much. He gained marginally on the greens on Sunday en route to his 65 to put a bow on another sensational week from tee to green. He finds himself in a precarious position one month way from the postseason as he continues battling to make the Tour Championship while maintaining his place inside the top 50 (those who qualify for the signature events next season). Grade: B+

T18. Rickie Fowler (-14): Fowler didn't make his first start at the John Deere Classic since his rookie season without good reason. Just outside the top 70 in the FedEx Cup standings entering the event, he finished up well enough to slide inside the magic number with four weeks remaining in the regular season. There are reasons to be excited for Fowler fans as he is slowly but surely piecing his game together with this week's effort being led by a strong performance with the driver in hand -- a consistent bugaboo this year. Grade: B

MC. Ben Griffin: The summer scorcher came to a screeching halt as Griffin played his final two holes in 3 over to go from inside the cutline to packing his bags early Friday afternoon. The early exit represented his first in a couple of months and put an end to a run of six straight top-15 finishes that included a win, a runner-up and a pair of top 10s in the two major championships. He will now take off next week to get his boots on the ground at Royal Portrush for The Open where he hopes to make the cut for the first time in three attempts. Grade: F

[Jul 6, 2025 at 6:04 pm ET · Patrick McDonald]

Playoff set

It is a two-man playoff as David Lipsky makes bogey on the last and drops out of the tie at 18 under. Brian Campbell goes against Emiliano Grillo in extra holes. Campbell is 1-0 this season as he won in Mexico via extra holes and Grillo has won both of his titles via playoff. The two will play the par-4 18th which they both just made par on.

[Jul 6, 2025 at 5:48 pm ET · Patrick McDonald]

David Lipsky?!

The big bird has landed for David Lipsky on the 71st hole — his only eagle this week. It pushes his name alongside Brian Campbell and Emiliano Grillo's at 18 under and he will have a chance to win this thing in regulation with a birdie on the 18th.

[Jul 6, 2025 at 5:32 pm ET · Patrick McDonald]

Grillo makes big birdie on No. 17

Emiliano Grillo rolls in an 8-foot birdie on the 71st hole to tie the lead heading to the last. Grillo sits at 18 under where Brian Campbell does as well who is on the green with 25 feet for birdie on the tough par-4 18th. 

[Jul 6, 2025 at 5:08 pm ET · Patrick McDonald]

This just got very interesting

There are now four tied at the top as Emiliano Grillo drops a shot on No. 15 making the lead at 17 under where he, Brian Campbell, Kevin Roy and now David Lipsky stand! Oh and let's not forget about Max Homa who will have a short putt on No. 16 to get within one stroke after a bogey on his last.

[Jul 6, 2025 at 4:51 pm ET · Patrick McDonald]

Grillo goes odds on

That is a big swing late in the proceedings. Brian Campbell cards a double bogey and drops one stroke behind Emiliano Grillo who is now the favorite to take this tournament down at -200 and in a couple groups behind Campbell. Grillo missed his birdie bid on No. 14 so his lead stands at one stroke at 18 under — one clear of Campbell and Kevin Roy who is in the clubhouse and two clear of Max Homa and Austin Eckroat.

[Jul 6, 2025 at 4:41 pm ET · Patrick McDonald]

Campbell's drive

[Jul 6, 2025 at 4:41 pm ET · Patrick McDonald]

Campbell pumps one into the trees

There was no kicking that one out. After a nice save on No. 14, Campbell hits a borderline snap hook off the tee on No. 15 and finds the penalty area. He'll drop from well far back and will do well to drop only one stroke. That is where his lead currently stands at 19 under, but it may well vanish with Emiliano Grillo greenside with his drive on the short 14th.

[Jul 6, 2025 at 4:08 pm ET · Patrick McDonald]

Campbell in cruise control

That is a nice two-putt par from the leader on the par-3 12th. He opens his back nine with a couple of birdies and that par to maintain his one-stroke lead at 18 under. It seems to be a bit of a two-man race with Campbell and Emiliano Grillo one hole behind at 17 under. Max Homa, David Lipskey and others are at risk of falling too far behind at 15 under.

[Jul 6, 2025 at 3:37 pm ET · Patrick McDonald]

The rain returns

The scattered showers are coming down heavy now. They made an appearance a few minutes into the final group teeing off before subsiding, but they have since returned as the final duos start to make the turn. There are four players now tied at 16 under with Jacob Bridgeman well out in front through 16 holes and hoping to add two more circles to his scorecard.

[Jul 6, 2025 at 2:58 pm ET · Patrick McDonald]

Campbell joins the lead

With Homa's bogey and another birdie from Brian Campbell, there are two players tied at the top at 16 under. Campbell will need to continue to hit fairways in bunches as he gives up some length to his counterparts as one of the shortest hitters on the PGA Tour. But remember, that did not stop him at the Mexico Open where he prevailed in a playoff this spring.

[Jul 6, 2025 at 2:29 pm ET · Patrick McDonald]

Homa rolls in another

That's three in a row for the six-time winner. The third birdie of his day comes on the par-4 4th from just about 17 feet and gets him to 17 under — one clear of David Lipsky. Homa is the clear name on this leaderboard, and early on he is looking like the man to beat, although there is still lots of golf left.

[Jul 6, 2025 at 1:59 pm ET · Patrick McDonald]

An opening par for Thompson

The overnight leader sees his birdie bid from roughly 15 feet just slip by on the opener and he remains at 15 under. He has been joined there by Brian Campbell who made birdie on No. 2 and soon to be Max Homa who found the surface on the par-5 2nd in two and has a chance to join the two at the top.

[Jul 6, 2025 at 1:05 pm ET · Patrick McDonald]

Thorbjornsen signs for 63

One year after finishing as a runner up, Michael Thorbjornsen finishes in a flurry with a final-round 63. Taking advantage of soft conditions, the budding superstar could have gone even deeper than 8 under as he made a double bogey on the par-5 17th. A birdie there and we are talking about a round of 60.

[Jul 6, 2025 at 12:43 pm ET · Patrick McDonald]

Rickie rolling in the right direction

That is now four birdies in his opening seven holes, and Rickie Fowler has the eyes of someone who is looking to post a number. Fowler came into the week on the outside looking in and a strong last 11 holes could be the difference between jumping inside that magic number and not. He is 13 under and only two off the pace.

[Jul 6, 2025 at 11:42 am ET · Patrick McDonald]

Contenders continuing to trickle onto golf course

The low scores are out there at TPC Deere Run this morning as Michael Thorbjornsen is 7 under through his first 12 holes. Sepp Straka nearly shot 59 en route to his victory a couple years ago, and a similar cadence could be in store for those who start the day six behind at 9 under as they start to get onto the golf course.