Let’s call it right now. At some point this season, Erik Compton, Kevin Kisner and Hudson Swafford are going to win on the PGA Tour.
Heck, every other player from the University of Georgia has won, why not them? Brian Harman became the sixth Bulldog to win on Tour this year, taking the John Deere Classic at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Ill., with a 22-under 262 to beat tournament favorite Zach Johnson (more on him later) by one stroke.
Harman’s win was the seventh by a Georgia player this season (Masters champion Bubba Watson has two) and moves him to 14th in the FedEx Cup standings, but only fifth among Georgia players.
PGA Tour victories by college in 2013-14
| College | Wins | Players |
| Georgia | 7 | Bubba Watson (2), Chris Kirk, Brendon Todd, Harris English, Brian Harman, Russell Henley |
| Baylor | 3 | Jimmy Walker |
| UNLV | 2 | Ryan Moore, Adam Scott |
| Augusta State | 2 | Patrick Reed |
| Georgia Tech | 2 | Matt Kuchar, Chesson Hadley |
Georgia Bulldogs on the PGA Tour in 2013-14
| Player | FedEx rank | Starts | Cuts made | Top 10s | Best finish |
| Bubba Watson | 2 | 14 | 12 | 7 | Won Masters, Won No. Trust |
| Chris Kirk* | 8 | 21 | 20 | 3 | Won McGladrey |
| Brendon Todd | 9 | 22 | 19 | 7 | Won Byron Nelson |
| Harris English | 11 | 22 | 18 | 7 | Won Mayakoba |
| Brian Harman | 14 | 25 | 17 | 6 | Won John Deere |
| Russell Henley | 41 | 22 | 12 | 2 | Won Sony Open |
| Erik Compton | 53 | 22 | 15 | 3 | T-2 U.S. Open |
| Kevin Kisner | 108 | 23 | 15 | 1 | T-6 Wells Fargo |
| Hudson Swafford | 141 | 23 | 9 | 1 | T-8 Sony Open |
*It wasn’t all good for Georgia boys at the John Deere. Chris Kirk missed the cut for the first time this season at TPC Deere Run.
The win was the sixth top-10 finish of the season for Harman, who has had an up-and-down season. He has yet to put together consecutive top 10s on the year, and he missed the cut in his previous two starts before winning. His eight missed cuts are sixth among players with a win this season, and he’s the second straight PGA Tour winner who has missed at least eight cuts this year after Angel Cabrera, winner at the Greenbrier Classic.
Missed cuts by a PGA Tour winner in 2013-14
| Player | Missed cuts | 2013-14 win |
| Chesson Hadley | 13 | Puerto Rico Open |
| Scott Stallings | 11 | Farmers Insurance |
| Steven Bowditch | 11 | Valero Texas Open |
| Russell Henley | 10 | Sony Open |
| Angel Cabrera | 9 | Greenbrier Classic |
| Brian Harman | 8 | John Deere Classic |
Harman is also the 10th player (also like Cabrera) to win while shooting four rounds in the 60s this season, and his 22-under total is the fourth best mark by a winner this season.
Best score in relation to par by a PGA Tour winner in 2013-14
| Player | To par | Tournament win |
| Patrick Reed | -28 | Humana Challenge |
| Webb Simpson | -24 | Shriners Las Vegas |
| Dustin Johnson | -24 | WGC-HSBC Champions |
| Brian Harman | -22 | John Deere Classic |
| Harris English | -21 | OHL Mayakoba Classic |
| Chesson Hadley | -21 | Puerto Rico Open |
Harmon won by utilizing his approach shots to great advantage. He tied for the tournament lead by hitting 63 greens in regulation, and he was second in approach shot distance to pin, hitting his approaches to within 23 feet, 3 inches of the hole. For the week he hit 19 approach shots to within 10 feet of the hole. He was 12 under on those 19 holes.
Approach shot distance to pin leaders at the John Deere Classic
| Player | Approach distance | Subpar holes | Finish |
| Tim Clark | 21 ft., 10 in. | 24 | T-5 |
| Brian Harman | 23 ft., 3 in. | 25 | Won |
| Bo Van Pelt | 24 ft., 9 in. | 22 | T-7 |
| Zach Johnson | 25 ft., 7 in. | 25 | 2 |
| Johnson Wagner | 26 ft., 2 in. | 16 | T-7 |
The victory secured Harman the final spot in the British Open. If year’s past are an indication, the Deere winner should make the cut at Royal Liverpool. The Deere has been held prior to the Open Championship since 2004, and no Deere winner who played in the year’s third major has missed the cut.
John Deere Classic winner at the British Open
| Year | Player | Open finish |
| 2013 | Jordan Spieth | T-44 |
| 2012 | Zach Johnson | T-9 |
| 2011 | Steve Stricker | T-12 |
| 2010 | Steve Stricker | T-55 |
| 2009 | Steve Stricker | T-52 |
| 2008 | Kenny Perry | Did not play |
| 2007 | Jonathan Byrd | T-23 |
| 2006 | John Senden | T-35 |
| 2005 | Sean O’Hair | T-15 |
| 2004 | Mark Hensby | Did not play |
Harman’s win was notable because he missed the cut at the Deere in 2013. In fact he improved his scoring average by a whopping seven strokes from last year, going from 72.5 in 2013 to 66.5 this past weekend. He’s the first player to win the tournament after missing the cut the previous season since J.L. Lewis in 1998 and 1999. The victory was also notable because of who Harman beat. He was paired in the final round with Steve Stricker, a three-time Deere winner, and after Stricker stumbled to an unlikely 72, Harman held off Zach Johnson for the victory. Johnson has now finished second here three times in the last six years, with a win and a T-3 thrown in for good measure. He shot four rounds in the 60s again last week, giving him 24 straight rounds in the 60 at TPC Deere Run.
Zach Johnson at the John Deere Classic: 2009-2014
| Year | Finish | Scores | To par | Earnings |
| 2014 | 2 | 63-67-69-64—263 | -21 | $507,600 |
| 2013 | T-2 | 64-66-67-68—265 | -19 | 404,800 |
| 2012 | Won | 68-65-66-65—264 | -20 | 828,000 |
| 2011 | T-3 | 66-69-67-65—267 | -17 | 261,000 |
| 2010 | T-21 | 67-69-69-68—273 | -11 | 36,418 |
| 2009 | T-2 | 69-68-64-66—267 | -17 | 321,066 |
Johnson is 105 under par at the tournament in the last six years with a scoring average of 66.62. Johnson lost by three strokes to Steve Stricker in 2009 and in a playoff to Jordan Spieth in 2013.
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