
Brian Campbell wins John Deere Classic for 2nd playoff victory this year
It extended the win-or-bust season for Campbell, who won the Mexico Open in a playoff in late February. He has finished out of the top 30 every tournament except for his two victories.
This one might be enough to get him into the British Open, depending on how high up he moves in the world ranking published Monday, traditionally used as the alternate list.
Campbell appeared to have control of the tournament with three birdies in a four-hole stretch to start the back nine. But he fell back with a double bogey into the trees on the 15th, and it was a wild scramble to the finish.
Grillo, who also closed with a 67, took the lead when Campbell made double bogey, only to three-putt for bogey on the 16th.
Campbell, one of the shorter hitters on tour, blasted a 3-wood to 18 feet for a two-putt birdie on the par-5 17th and narrowly missed a 25-foot birdie on the 18th. He was the first player to post at 18-under 266.
Grillo got up-and-down for birdie on the 17th, holing an 8-foot putt, and caught a bad break on the 18th when his drive settled into a divot. He hit wedge to just inside 40 feet and two-putted for par to join Campbell at 266.
David Lipsky was poised to join them when he hit a punch 3-wood to 8 feet for eagle on the 17th to tie for the lead. But he hooked his drive on the 18th, couldn't reach the green, and his 15-foot par putt to get into the playoff caught the left lip and spun away. He shot 68 and tied for third with Kevin Roy (65).
The playoff lacked any real drama. Campbell hit a beautiful trap draw to about 15 feet on the 18th. Grillo, who caught a break when his drive to the right was sitting up in trampled rough, sent long over the green. His flop shot didn't quite reach the putting surface, and his par attempt from some 25 feet never had a chance.
"I got myself there. I gave myself a chance," Grillo said. "I made some good putts. Hit a good putt on the 72nd and that's all I can do."
Campbell becomes the fifth player this year to have multiple victories in individual tournaments on the PGA Tour, joining Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Sepp Straka and Ryan Fox.
He finished about a half-hour ahead of the final group, but Campbell chose to stay in the clubhouse to see if his score would hold up instead of staying loose on the practice range. He said it was hot enough that it was better to cool off and get some rest, and there was no arguing with the result — he drilled his drive down the middle and put all the pressure on Grillo with his approach to the green.
Max Homa, winless in more than two years, ran off three straight birdies early in the round to briefly take the lead. He played the last 14 holes in 1 over, missing key putts to stay in the game, and wound up with a 69 to tie for fifth. It was his first top 10 on the PGA Tour in nearly 15 months.
Five others tied for fifth, including 47-year-old Matt Kuchar, who closed with a 66, and Lucas Glover, who shot a 64.
___
AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

NBC Sports
25 minutes ago
- NBC Sports
Season in the toilet? Xander Schauffele still has time to save it, beginning at Scottish Open
After hearing Brian Campbell reflect on his long, windy journey to two wins, Rich Lerner and Todd Lewis talk about how his style has a place on Tour, even if his short hitting isn't sustainable long-term. NORTH BERWICK, Scotland – As metaphors go, it was not difficult for Xander Schauffele to connect the dots following the worst season, his words, of his professional career. As Schauffele walked into the media center at the Genesis Scottish Open, he glanced to his left and saw an outsized poster of himself celebrating his 2022 victory at the Renaissance Club. That the poster was positioned at the entrance to the men's restroom was beyond apropos (to him). 'It was nice to see my photo out by the toilet. That was heartwarming. Summed up how I feel about what's going on right now,' he laughed. 'I actually chuckled when I saw that one.' If Schauffele's assessment of his season sounds a bit harsh, he also explained that the only thing he feels like he's done well this year is in relation to his attitude. In 11 events, he has just a single top-10 finish, — a tie for eighth at the Masters — and is currently perched at 57th on the FedExCup points list, outside the pivotal top 50 to qualify for next year's signature events. Following a breakout season in 2024, when he won two majors, his expectations for this season were tempered slightly by a rib injury to begin the year. But he admits the frustration has been building. 'I'm trying to do a lot of things, and I think the best part of my game has probably been my mental, just, fortitude, whatever you want to call it, just to try to stay positive and behave as if I am playing really well,' he said. 'But coming off a year like last year, getting hurt, coming back, my expectations and playing ability have not cued up very nicely.' Schauffele admitted that he's currently in 'chase mode' with his game as the PGA Tour season begins to wind down with just four weeks before the playoffs begin. 'I mean, just playoffs, trying to get into some sort of contention to try and feel something again, other than upset. I think I've just been angry-ish,' he said. 'That's been the biggest emotion of this, is frustrating, versus why we love playing to be in contention and kind of see what you can do. That part's been humbling. It's a battle, and I'm going to try and win it.'


USA Today
26 minutes ago
- USA Today
82-year-old golfer's 67-million-to one longshot: Two holes-in-one in same round
Marty Lerner is of the same generation as Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus. But, he says, "I'm no Nicklaus, I'm no Palmer." Perhaps not. But the 82-year-old from Delray Beach, Florida, accomplished something on July 6 that neither of the two iconic Hall of Famers did while on the PGA Tour. He carded two holes-in-one in the same round. Lerner, retired from the financial world and living in Delray Beach, followed the first ace of his life on the 112-yard second hole at Park Ridge Golf Course near Wellington with another on the 110-yard ninth hole. What took him more than 82 years to accomplish one time, happened again about two hours later. While the odds of making a single hole-in-one are estimated at 12,500-to-1, that number jumps to 67-million-to-1 for repeating the feat in the same round. "As soon as they came in, I said you got to stop and buy some lottery tickets on the way home," said Al Grimaldi, a Park Ridge supervisor on duty that day. Even more astonishing: Tad Moore of Lake Worth made two holes-in-one at Park Ridge on Oct. 19, 2019. Moore aced the 120-yard ninth hole with a pitching wedge and the 125-yard 16th with a 7-iron. Lerner, from Bronx, New York, is a two-time-a-week player just trying to "keep the numbers in double digits, not triple digits." So when he stepped to the tee box on No. 2 with an 8-iron in hand, he was not about to go all Brooks Koepka on the tee markers if he did not hole out. "I always say before I hit the ball, 'Does anyone have eyes on this ball?' " Lerner said. "I'm going for cataract surgery in a couple of weeks so that tells you where I am in my life. "So I certainly did not see it drop." Elevated green meant Marty Lerner's group did not see hole in one With the green elevated, neither did his playing partners that included Rich Mendelson, Steve Hodosh and Geoff Solomon, a senior account executive at WPTV-Channel 5. When the group arrived at the green, some thought it was possibly in a bunker. "We looked around for if for about five minutes and we couldn't find his ball," said Mendelson, 73, of Highland Beach. "He was ready to drop another ball." Someone suggested they check out the hole where they found the ball nestled in the cup. "It was kind of anticlimactic after looking for the ball," Mendelson said. Said Lerner: "I said to myself, I should take a picture of this, this is once in a lifetime." That means Lerner lived a very short second lifetime. Seven holes later, thinking he had been a little short with many of his shots during the day, Lerner pulled out a 7-iron. And this time the result was a bit clearer … except to Lerner. Mendelson, a piano teacher Lerner hired years ago who then became one of his golfing partners, was sure he saw it roll into the hole. But he could not be sure. "I started to walk to the ball and people who had gotten ahead of me were looking at me kind of strange," Lerner said. "I said, 'Does anyone know where the ball is?' "Someone says, 'I think you should look in the cup.' " Solomon, who arrived as a single golfer and was placed in their group, took out his cell phone and asked Lerner if he'd like to be on the news. He then videoed Lerner as walked onto the green and approached the cup. "Oh, my, God. Oh, my, God. What are the odds?" Lerner said as he raised both arms, fists clenched carrying two clubs in one hand. "Absolutely surreal," Mendelson said. Marty Lerner's two aces gave him a 44 for the front nine holes The ace on No. 9 capped a 44 for the front nine for Lerner, one of his best nine-hole scores in recent years. As for the back nine, "my brain was no longer on the game." Lerner shot a 56 on the back nine, for a 100. But that did not matter. Because where was Lerner the next morning? On the range. "I'm a little obsessive," Lerner said. He then added: "They say it's a suckers game. Most people say, 'I'm done with it, I'm finished, I hate the game. I'm not getting any better, let me use my time more productively.' And you're about to give your clubs away, you're on the 18th hole and you say, 'I can't wait to hit this ball because I'll be done with it.' And you hit the ball right down the center, 230 yards, and you say, 'Aha. Now I've got it.' "You've just been sucked back in." Tom D'Angelo is a senior sports columnist and reporter for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at tdangelo@


USA Today
26 minutes ago
- USA Today
Three-time PGA Tour winner's secret to success: 'Be obsessed'
PEKIN, Ill. — D.A. Points stood on the Pekin Country Club golf course Monday, not far from the home in which he grew up, remembering a squeaking screen door, practice swings in the dark and a passion that fueled his journey in golf. The 48-year-old Pekin native and PGA veteran returned to host the 2025 Renewal by Anderson D.A. Points Junior Open, an American Junior Golf Association tour event created with his backing to help young players make important progress in their dreams. "The greatest gift I had as a kid was living on this golf course," Points said. "Our house was on the No. 17 hole. I'd go out there every night after dinner and practice chips and putts right on into the dark. "We had this screen door that was so squeaky, I could hear my father open it from three holes away, and he'd yell at me to get going inside." He went on to win the IHSA Class AA state golf individual championship in 1993-94, and led Pekin High School to a team state championship. Then it was playing at the University of Illinois, and on to the PGA Tour and three event wins. Little things like that screen door and devoted parents in Steve and Mary Jo Points built core memories and a love of the game that D.A. Points remembers now, and his passion for passing along those experiences to those just starting out is as great as his passion to play. "To be great at this sport, to be great at anything, really, you kind of have to be obsessed with it," Points said. "The days of just being a naturally gifted athlete that can just walk up on the first tee and go out and shoot 65, those aren't really happening anymore. "Now there's great athletes and they are obsessed with it. To really be great at something, whether it's golf or journalism or TV, whatever it is, you've got to really want it. That's what I'm going to try to explain to these kids." He did that Monday, addressing the players ahead of a Junior/AM fundraising tournament event and followed by an evening dinner and reception. In between, he planned to join his old high school friends for some golf at Lick Creek Golf Course. "Our 30th high school reunion is coming up, but I won't be able to attend it," Points said. "So I'm going to golf with my buddies and this will be my reunion." D.A. Points on TV and radio Points has played in four Korn Ferry Tour events in 2025, while continuing a transition into a PGA broadcast analyst career. He is part of ESPN+ PGA Tour Live coverage, and was working the John Deere Classic last week. Points will work eight different PGA events this season. And he's scheduled for a SiriusXM stint this week — 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday through Sunday — to discuss the Scottish Open. Golfing in Peoria area laid foundation for D.A. Points When Points was a kid, his mother, Mary Jo, kept a golf scorecard of Pekin Country Club on the family's refrigerator. "The goal was to keep improving on each hole, so she would check my card each time to see if I had set a new best score on one of the holes," Points said. "I had pars on some, then some birdies, and eventually I think I got the composite card down to a 54." When Points was 11 years old, his family connected him with teaching pro Rick Sellers in Bloomington-Normal, on the recommendation of D.A. Weibring. The first time they met, Sellers took out a notepad and began sketching figures. He had advised the Points family that because they weren't members at the club he worked, he could only meet with them one time. "He sketched a fade, a draw, a hook," and explained what they were," Points said, grinning. "He asked me if I wanted to try to shoot one. I asked, 'Which one? I can shoot all three of those.' "Sellers told my parents, 'OK, I can work regularly with him, I'll come to Peoria." And years later, the teaching pro stood up in D.A. Points' wedding. The birth of D.A. Points' tournament The AJGA reached out to Points eight years ago, seeking to increase its presence in Illinois. Points remembered having to travel to Flint, Michigan, to find an AJGA event as a teenager. He was quickly all in on bringing such an opportunity to central Illinois. "Energy, attitude, preparation, those are all things you can control," Points said as he prepared to address the players. "You can't control if you drive it down the middle of the fairway and it goes in a divot. But you can control how you react to it when you get there. "I said 'absolutely' when they asked if I wanted to do a tournament here. All these players from around the country, around the world, coming to Pekin. And a chance to talk to them, help them." The 60 boys in the 2025 field include players from 16 states, Japan, China, Thailand and Canada. There are boys as young as Evan Hofferkamp, a Class of 2029 player from The Woodlands, Texas, and Tiger YuanJun Liu, a Class of 2029 Chinese citizen based in Canada. The girls side of the field includes 36 players from eight states and Thailand, Canada, China, India and Hong Kong. The youngest in the field include Class of 2029 players Tiara Dhir, a citizen of India playing out of Frisco, Texas; Maya Fujisawa Keuling from Carmel, Indiana; Hailey Li from Los Gatos, California; Amy Tang from Auckland, New Zealand, and Arwen Wang of China. Hometown players Three Peoria area boys and one area girl are in the field: ● Notre Dame High School's Jack Coulter, Class of 2027, finished 21st at state last fall. ● Dunlap High School's Nolan Eccles, Class of 2027, finished seventh at state last fall. ● Pekin High School's Colin Kemp, Class of 2028. ● Dunlap High School's Sydney Hunt, Class of 2027, won medalist honors at the Mid-Illini Conference girls tournament, added a regional individual title and was named Journal Star girls golfing player of the year. Tournament headquarters is in the Pinehurst room of the Clubhouse at Pekin Country Club (310 Country Club Dr, Pekin). The tournament leaderboard and tee times can be found online daily. On Tuesday, Eccles tees at 8:20 a.m., Kemp at 10 a.m., Coulter tees at 10:10 a.m. and Hunt at 12:10 p.m. Pekin Country Club is a par 72, 6,549-yard challenge for the boys, and a par 72, 6,102-yard challenge for the girls. The three-day, 54-hole tournament is Tuesday through Thursday and includes a cut after 36 holes. It's open to boys and girls aged 12 to 19. Dave Eminian is the Journal Star sports columnist, and covers Bradley men's basketball, the Rivermen and Chiefs. He writes the Cleve In The Eve sports column for He can be reached at 686-3206 or deminian@ Follow him on @icetimecleve.