Illinois Golf Alum Brian Campbell Wins the John Deere Classic

Playing just a few hours from his college home in Champaign, Campbell leaned on both his composure and the support of an enthusiastic crowd to navigate a dramatic finish at TPC Deere Run. Chants of “I-L-L! I-N-I!” echoed through the course as he battled down the stretch. He held the solo lead late in the round before a costly double bogey on the par-4 15th, where he pushed his tee shot out of bounds.

The setback dropped him into a tie for the lead, but Campbell bounced back quickly. On the par-5 17th, he attacked the green in two and walked away with a momentum-shifting birdie. A steady par on 18 got him into a playoff with Grillo, who matched Campbell’s 4-under 67 on Sunday to join him at 18-under for the tournament.

In the playoff, Campbell didn’t flinch. After splitting the fairway, he hit a beauty of an approach shot, landing it inside 15 feet to set up a birdie look. Grillo, meanwhile, flew the green with his approach and was unable to get up and down for par. That opened the door for the former Illini, who calmly two-putted for the win as the crowd gathered at the Silvis, Illinois, course erupted in celebration.

The victory marks Campbell’s second of his career, following his breakthrough earlier this year at the Mexico Open. It’s also another shining moment for Illinois golf. A Big Ten champion and All-American under coach Mike Small, Campbell has become an example of the program’s growing influence on the PGA Tour.

With two wins and through-the-roof confidence, Campbell is making a strong case to be in the mix for a Ryder Cup roster spot – and his breakout season is turning heads across the PGA Tour.

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