Campbell tops Grillo in playoff to win PGA's John Deere Classic
Campbell, 32 had won his first PGA title at the Mexico Open in February, reward for grinding his way back onto the tour after injuries threatened to derail his career after his rookie season back in 2017.
He and Argentina's Grillo both carded four-under-par 67s on Sunday to finish 72 holes on 18-under 266 at TPC Deere Run.
For the playoff they returned to the par-four 18th, where Campbell's second shot from the fairway landed 16 feet from the pin.
Grillo's tee shot was in the right rough and his second shot came out hot, racing through the green. His chip back left him a 23-footer from just off the green and after he failed to make it, Campbell calmly stepped up and two-putted for the win.
"Right now it's surreal," said Campbell, who attended college in Illinois and made his first PGA Tour start in this event. "It all started here as an amateur, my first invite here ... I have no words. To let alone be in a playoff and to finish it off this way has just been amazing."
Campbell who also won his Mexico title in a playoff, had a two-shot lead after rolling in a 14-foot putt at the 13th for his fifth birdie of the day.
He dropped one adrift with a double-bogey at the 15th, but was back on top by one after a birdie at 17.
Behind him Grillo reached 18-under with an eight-foot birdie at the 17th -- his fifth birdie of the day, and the Argentinian nearly seized the victory at the 72nd hole where his 37-foot birdie putt was an inch wide.
"I played well, that's all I can do," he said. "I got myself there, I gave myself a chance," added Grillo, whose two tour titles both came in playoffs.
David Lipsky, chasing his first tour title, played in the last group and was tied for the lead on 18-under after rolling in an eight-fot eagle putt at the 17th. But he missed out on the playoff after a bogey at 18.
He was tied for third with Kevin Roy, who had six birdies in his six-under 65.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
22-07-2025
- New Straits Times
Report: European captain Luke Donald agrees to Ryder Cup rules change
LONDON: The 2025 Ryder Cup is getting off to a congenial start. According to a report by Telegraph Sport yesterday, Team Europe captain Luke Donald has agreed to extricate his counterpart Keegan Bradley from a potentially sticky situation. It was assumed that when Bradley was named Team USA captain, he would serve in the traditional manner. However, the 39-year-old has all but assured himself a spot inside the ropes -- complete with clubs and caddie -- given his brilliant play in 2025. However, the Ryder Cup rules state that only the captain is permitted to provide advice to players during the competition. Should Bradley be competing in a session, he would not be able to communicate with the squad. But Donald agreed to change the rule to allow one of the American vice-captains to assume Bradley's advisory duties. "Keegan can only change the overarching contract with Luke and Ryder Cup Europe's approval," a source told Telegraph Sport. "The contract between the teams includes things like how many vice-captains a team can have, etc. That is used year on year and captains rarely change that. But Keegan went to Luke with this clause and Luke generously agreed." The USA vice-captains are Jim Furyk, Kevin Kisner, Webb Simpson, Brandt Snedeker and Gary Woodland. Furyk, the team captain in the 2018 European win in Paris, could be equipped to assume the role. Bradley was the 2011 PGA Champion, then won only twice on the PGA Tour over the next 10-plus years. But he captured the BMW Championship during the 2024 FedEx Cup playoffs, then won his second Travelers Championship title in three years one month ago. He stands 10th in the U.S. Ryder Cup standings (the top six automatically qualify), but his World ranking has risen to No. 7. With other prominent American players like Patrick Cantlay and Jordan Speith slumping and the selections coming in four weeks, Bradley seems preparing to put himself on the team. The last playing captain for Team USA in a Ryder Cup was Arnold Palmer in 1963. The 2026 Ryder Cup takes place at Bethpage Black Course in Farmingdale, N.Y. from Sept. 26-28. Team Europe is attempting to become the first away side to win (or retain) the cup in 13 years. They rallied for a 14.5-13.5 win at Medinah (Ill.) in 2012. — REUTERS
New Straits Times
21-07-2025
- New Straits Times
Gerard holds off Van Rooyen to win PGA Barracuda title
LOS ANGELE: Ryan Gerard held off South African Erik van Rooyen down the back nine yesterday to win the Barracuda Championship for his first US PGA Tour title. The 25-year-old American, whose best career finish had been a runner-up effort at this year's Texas Open, eagled twice in the final round for the victory. "It's just like a culmination of a lifetime of work," Gerard said. "I can't tell you how many hours I've spent hitting golf balls dreaming of winning on the PGA Tour. It's really special." Gerard edged Van Rooyen 47-44 under the Modified Stableford scoring system to capture the event at Tahoe Mountain Club in Truckee, California. Under the unique scoring format, an albatross is worth eight points, an eagle five and a birdie two. Pars are no points while a bogey is minus-one point and any worse score is minus-three points. The tournament was played opposite the British Open, where top-ranked Scottie Scheffler won his fourth career major title and second major crown of the year. Gerard, who shared the 54-hole lead on 34 points, added 13 points in the last round with two eagles, four birdies and five bogeys. "I've been playing a lot of really good golf," Gerard said. "I've felt like I haven't been getting the scores out of the shots that I've hit and it has been a long time, a long grind. Yeah, it's pretty cool that I end up on top." Van Rooyen, whose first PGA victory was at the 2021 Barracuda, settled for his second runner-up finish of the year after the CJ Cup Byron Nelson in May. Filipino standout Rico Hoey and Gerard shared the 54-hole lead, but Hoey stumbled back with a double bogey-bogey start. Gerard birdied the second hole and eagled the third, and answered bogeys at the fourth and fifth with a birdie at the seventh to stand on 41 with his nearest rival on the course, Van Rooyen, seven adrift. After both birdied the 10th, Van Rooyen chipped in for birdie at 11. Gerard, however, answered at 11 when, after getting relief from a sprinkler head in his stance that let him move his ball to the fringe, he curled in a long eagle putt to reach 48 points, 10 ahead of Van Rooyen. Gerard made bogeys at 12 and 13 but responded with a birdie at 14 while Van Rooyen made bogey at 14 but eagled the par-five 15th to pull within six. When Gerard made a three-putt bogey at the par-three 16th, his lead was down to 47-42. Van Rooyen sank a birdie from the fringe at the 18 to climb within 47-44, but Gerard tapped in at 18 for par and the victory.
New Straits Times
20-07-2025
- New Straits Times
Scheffler extends lead as McIlroy stays in British Open contention
PORTRUSH, United Kingdom: Scottie Scheffler extended his British Open lead to two shots during a dramatic third round on Saturday, as Rory McIlroy sparked his title bid into life at Royal Portrush. World number one Scheffler moved two strokes ahead of Matthew Fitzpatrick as he eyes a first Claret Jug, reaching 13-under par for the tournament after the front nine. Englishman Fitzpatrick drew level with Scheffler early in the round by chipping in for an eagle on the par-five second, as the overnight leader three-putted for par. But Scheffler, the PGA champion, stretched back in front with an eagle on the seventh hole, backed up by a birdie on the eighth. Li Haotong, hoping to become the first Chinese man to win a major title, hung in to reach the turn at nine-under overall, four shots back. Tyrrell Hatton also eagled the seventh, sitting a shot further behind on eight-under through 10 holes, tied with Scottish Open champion Chris Gotterup. Home favourite McIlroy, starting the day seven strokes off the pace, quickly made his move with three birdies in his first four holes. A huge roar greeted a curling, 36-foot birdie putt on the first green, before the Northern Irishman tapped in for another birdie on the second. A towering iron shot into the fourth continued the momentum, dragging the Masters champion to within four shots of Scheffler before the leader had even teed off. His putter went cold for the rest of the front nine, before a bogey on the 11th threatened to derail his round. But the 36-year-old responded in style by tickling home a downhill, 56-foot eagle putt on the 12th to keep his hopes of a second British Open title alive, and bringing deafening cheers from the thousands of fans around the green. Other movers on Saturday included reigning champion Xander Schauffele, who made two eagles to reach seven-under with one hole to play. He is level with McIlroy and Robert MacIntyre, aiming to become Scotland's first major winner since Paul Lawrie 26 years ago. Last year's runner-up Justin Rose, who lost to McIlroy in a play-off at the Masters in April, surged into the mix with four birdies in the space of five holes to get to six-under. But the former world number one lost his momentum with a bogey on the eighth and was five-under with three holes to play. Scheffler arrived at Portrush following a run of 10 successive top-10 finishes, featuring three wins including the PGA Championship. Fitzpatrick is hoping to become the first English winner of the British Open since Nick Faldo won his third title in 1992.
