Lucas Glover took control at the John Deere Classic with a clean scorecard
Lucas Glover will enter the John Deere Classic weekend as the tournament leader after shooting a 65, six under par, in the second round at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, in the U.S. state of Illinois, reaching a total of 14 under par. According to an Associated Press report published by Golf Channel, on Friday, July 3, 2026, Glover kept a clean scorecard without a bogey and built a two-stroke lead over Lee Hodges, thereby taking the strongest position in the field ahead of the decisive final two rounds.
After an opening 63, Glover confirmed on the second day that his start was not just a one-time surge of form. On the par-71 course, measuring 7,327 yards, according to data from the PGA Tour and CBS Sports, he finished the first 36 holes with a total of 128 strokes. Such a performance is especially valuable because it was achieved at a tournament that traditionally allows low scores, but at the same time punishes every major disruption of rhythm. At TPC Deere Run, players regularly have to attack the flags to remain in contention, but over the first two days Glover found a balance between aggression and control.
According to the official scorecard published by ESPN, Glover recorded 14 birdies through two rounds, without a single bogey. In the second round, he finished with a score of 34 on the front nine and 31 on the back nine, and he was especially effective after starting on the 10th hole. The Associated Press states that he made five birdies on the course’s back nine, while an equally important moment was a par putt from about 12 feet on the final hole, with which he preserved his clean scorecard and symbolically confirmed his control over the round.
Hodges remained the closest pursuer, Blair third
Lee Hodges holds second place after two rounds at a total of 12 under par. According to the CBS Sports leaderboard, Hodges opened the tournament with a round of 64 and added a 66 on Friday for a total of 130 strokes. His two-shot deficit leaves him in a direct duel with Glover, especially because the third round is played on a course where a lead can quickly shrink with a run of birdies. The Associated Press emphasizes that Hodges had to save par near the end of the second round, including two important putts from about eight feet over the last three holes, which kept him within reach of the leader.
Zac Blair occupies third place at 11 under par after rounds of 63 and 68. He too, according to the Associated Press report, had to play precisely on the final hole to preserve his place just behind the leading pair. His position is important because he is three shots behind Glover, but also because a large group of players at 10 under par follows behind him. In such a leaderboard arrangement, one weaker stretch of holes can change the entire picture of the tournament, while one run of birdies can open a path toward the top.
Tied for fourth place, according to the CBS Sports leaderboard after 36 holes, are Jackson Suber, Tyler Duncan, Troy Merritt, David Lipsky, Ryo Hisatsune and Ben Kohles, all at 10 under par. Max Homa is alone at nine under par, while a larger group, including Zach Johnson, Chris Gotterup, Ben Griffin, William Mouw, Michael Brennan, Doug Ghim, Pontus Nyholm and Hayden Springer, entered the weekend at eight under par. Such density in the standings confirms that the John Deere Classic continues to develop as a tournament where attacking is mandatory, but also that Glover’s lead carries real weight because it comes without a lost stroke.
- 1. Lucas Glover: 63, 65 – total 128, 14 under par
- 2. Lee Hodges: 64, 66 – total 130, 12 under par
- 3. Zac Blair: 63, 68 – total 131, 11 under par
- Tie for 4th place: Jackson Suber, Tyler Duncan, Troy Merritt, David Lipsky, Ryo Hisatsune and Ben Kohles – total 132, 10 under par
- 10. Max Homa: 67, 66 – total 133, nine under par
Glover’s best first two rounds in a long career
The performance of 128 strokes through 36 holes stands out especially in the context of Glover’s career. According to data reported by the Associated Press, it is his best result after two rounds in 582 PGA Tour starts, better than the 129 strokes he had at the Wyndham Championship in 2010. That figure gives additional weight to his lead, because it does not speak only of a good result at one tournament, but of one of the most efficient starts in a long professional career.
Glover, the 2009 U.S. Open champion and winner of the 2021 John Deere Classic, has a positive history in Silvis. The tournament’s official website recalls that in 2021 he shot 64 in the final round and finished at 19 under par, two strokes ahead of the competition, thereby ending a long period without a victory on the PGA Tour. His return to TPC Deere Run is therefore not just a regular appearance in the summer part of the calendar, but a return to a course where he has already confirmed that he can withstand the pressure of a Sunday finish.
According to CBS Sports, before this week in 2026 Glover had not had the kind of consistency that would naturally place him among the main favorites. In his last five starts, that outlet states, he had not finished a tournament week under par, while during the season he had a limited number of high finishes. That is precisely why his lead in Silvis has an added dimension: it is not only about defending an advantage, but also about a possible turnaround in the season for an experienced player seeking a return to stability in a key part of the PGA Tour calendar.
Glover himself, according to a statement reported by the Associated Press, emphasized that he does not want to think too much about the broader context and the possible consequences of the result. He said he wants to play good golf again, that he had difficulties in the recent period, but that the first two days in Silvis give him faith that the work he is putting in has started to produce results. At the same time, he warned that success on Thursday and Friday guarantees nothing on Saturday and Sunday, which is a realistic assessment at a tournament where low rounds often continue throughout the entire weekend.
TPC Deere Run again demands attacking play
TPC Deere Run is again being played in 2026 as a par 71 at 7,327 yards, according to data from the PGA Tour and CBS Sports. It is a course that rewards precise attacks toward the green, but also demands very good distance control because pin positions and undulating greens are often decisive in the difference between a birdie opportunity and a demanding par save. Glover’s statistics from the first two rounds show exactly that combination: according to ESPN’s scorecard display, he hit 77.8 percent of greens in regulation and averaged 1.500 putts per green in regulation, which explains why he was able to string together a large number of birdies without major mistakes.
The John Deere Classic is often described as a tournament that opens doors for players searching for momentum. In the PGA Tour calendar, it comes at a time when some of the highest-ranked players are preparing for bigger international appearances, while the field in Silvis traditionally combines experienced winners, young professionals and players trying to secure a better position in the FedExCup standings. According to the PGA Tour, this week’s purse amounts to 8.8 million U.S. dollars, and the same organization stated in its tournament preview that the winner receives 500 FedExCup points.
For Glover, that is an important framework because every high finish in this part of the season can significantly change the competitive perspective. For his pursuers, especially Hodges, Blair and the group at 10 under par, the weekend brings an opportunity to take advantage of conditions that allowed aggressive play in the first two rounds. Still, Glover has so far been the most complete: he attacked enough to collect 14 birdies, but he did not lose a stroke, which is the most valuable combination at a low-scoring tournament.
Experienced players and young talents in the same frame
This year’s edition of the John Deere Classic has brought an interesting cross-section of generations. The Associated Press writes that the focus after the second round partly shifted to the more experienced players, above all Glover and Zach Johnson. Johnson, a longtime symbol of the tournament and a player strongly connected with the Quad Cities area, was in the group at eight under par after the second round. According to CBS Sports, Johnson followed an opening 64 with a 70 on Friday and entered the weekend six shots behind Glover.
At the same time, young players remained an important part of the story. The Associated Press states that Jackson Koivun, one of the most prominent amateurs before turning professional, missed the cut in his professional debut. On the other hand, Preston Stout and Blades Brown remained in the tournament at seven under par, with Brown also entering the weekend without a bogey. Such details give the tournament broader significance because they show how much the John Deere Classic serves as a meeting place for different stages of careers: from proven winners to players who are only trying to build status at the highest level.
Jackson Suber is also one of the players who used Friday for a big jump. According to the CBS Sports leaderboard, a round of 64 moved him to 10 under par and into a tie for fourth place. In such a position, Suber enters the weekend with a realistic chance to join the fight for the top if he continues converting opportunities on the greens. Still, for all players behind Glover, the key problem is the same: the leader is showing no signs of cracking, and without a bogey through 36 holes he is not offering much room to passively wait for his mistake.
A cut at three under par left familiar names in play
According to the official leaderboard published by CBS Sports, the cut after the second round was set at three under par, or 139 strokes. That means a wide circle of players secured the weekend, but also that those right on the line are already at a significant deficit to the top. Jordan Spieth made the cut right on that line, at three under par, thereby keeping the possibility of playing the remaining two rounds. Still, for players from that part of the standings, the fight for victory would require an exceptionally low Saturday round and, at the same time, a slowdown from the leaders.
The breadth of the standings further emphasizes how important the third round will be. Players at eight, nine and 10 under par are not too far away to lose hope, but they are far enough behind Glover that they cannot rely on a cautious strategy. In that sense, the John Deere Classic often rewards those who catch a rhythm early in the round on the par-five holes and turn mid-range putts into birdies. If the conditions remain favorable, the score needed to stay near the top could continue to drop.
Glover’s two-stroke lead is not unreachable, but its value lies in the way it was built. It did not come from one extreme run or from relying on risky shots, but from continuous play without major misses. In low-scoring golf, where differences are often created with the putter, bogey-free stability can be just as important as the ability to make birdies. That is exactly why his 14 under par after two days feels like a score that rivals must actively attack, not simply wait to collapse.
The weekend in Silvis brings a different kind of pressure
Saturday’s and Sunday’s rounds bring a different kind of burden from the first 36 holes. Glover is no longer a player moving up the leaderboard, but the target for the rest of the field. Hodges will start two shots back, Blair three, and the large group at 10 under par four shots behind. In practical terms, that means Glover could retain control with a solid round in the 60s, but also that one poorer start could very quickly bring several players into immediate proximity.
For the tournament, such an arrangement is ideal because it combines a clear leader, a direct pursuer and a broad group of challengers. According to the information available after the second round, Glover is in the best position, but the John Deere Classic traditionally rarely allows the story to close early. TPC Deere Run provides enough birdie opportunities for the standings to change from hour to hour, especially if the leaders find themselves between the need to attack and the desire to protect the advantage.
Ahead of the weekend, the most important fact remains simple: Lucas Glover has not made a bogey after 36 holes, has the best two-day result of his long PGA Tour career and holds a two-stroke lead at a tournament he has already won once. Hodges, Blair, Homa, Suber, Gotterup and the rest of the group behind him have enough time to attack, but for now the rhythm of the tournament revolves around Glover’s calm, precise and surprisingly dominant play in Silvis.
Sources:
- PGA Tour – official overview and preview of the John Deere Classic, data on the TPC Deere Run course, the player field and FedExCup points (link)
- Golf Channel / Associated Press – second-round report, Lucas Glover’s statements and context on the leading players (link)
- CBS Sports – 2026 John Deere Classic leaderboard after the second round and the distribution of results among the leading players (link)
- ESPN – Lucas Glover’s scorecard, statistics through the first two rounds and data on strokes by hole (link)
- John Deere Classic – official overview of tournament champions and Glover’s 2021 victory (link)
- PGA Tour – breakdown of the 2026 John Deere Classic purse and the information on 8.8 million U.S. dollars (link)