Who missed the cut at the John Deere Classic? Notable names who won't play the weekend

SILVIS, Ill. — There are two rounds in the books at the 2026 John Deere Classic, and that means half the field is headed home. The cutline ended up at 3 under, with the top 65 and ties advancing to the weekend while the rest were sent packing after 36 holes.

There were several impressive efforts down the stretch to sneak inside the cutline: Tony Finau made 236 feet of putts Friday — the second-most ever in a single round at the JDC — to get to 4 under and secure a tee time on Saturday; Peter Malnati was four shots outside the cutline with 14 holes to go and proceeded to make six birdies on his way in, including three in a row to finish the round; and Eric Cole bounced back from an opening 76 with an 8-under 63 on Friday to make the cut on the number.

But there were many players who didn’t meet such a fate and will either board an early flight across the pond for the Genesis Scottish Open or head to Louisville, Kentucky, for next week’s opposite-field event, the ISCO Championship. Here are the notable names who won’t play the weekend at the John Deere Classic:

The pro debut of one of the most decorated amateurs in history did not go to plan. Jackson Koivun entered the week with the third-shortest odds to win the John Deere Classic, but rounds of 73 and 70 sent him home. It was a struggle on and around the greens for Koivun, who ranked bottom 30 in the field in both scrambling and Strokes Gained: Putting.

It’s been 15 years since the John Deere Classic had a repeat winner (Steve Stricker won it three times in a row from 2009-2011), and that streak will be extended to 16. Defending champ Brian Campbell couldn’t get anything going this week at TPC Deere Run, turning in pedestrian rounds of 70 and 72 to finish even.

Michael Thorbjornsen burst onto the scene at the John Deere Classic in 2024, finishing in a tie for second and announcing himself as one of the next potential young stars on the PGA Tour. But he won’t have the chance to break into the winner’s circle for the first time this week after rounds of 68 and 72 left him one shot outside the cutline.

One of the men who finished tied for second with Thorbjornsen at the 2024 John Deere Classic was Luke Clanton, who was an amateur playing on a sponsor exemption. But in his first two seasons as a pro, Clanton has struggled a bit, missing the cut in 13 of 32 starts on the PGA Tour since the beginning of 2025, including this week.

Webb Simpson was making his first start since May and TPC Deere Run took him on a rollercoaster ride Friday. The 2012 U.S. Open Champ and three-time Ryder Cupper made six birdies and five bogeys en route to a round of 1-under 70, but it wasn’t quite enough as he missed the cut by one.

The struggles continue for 21-year-old Aldrich Potgieter. The long-bombing South African has made the cut in just 10 of 19 starts since his win at the Rocket Classic late last summer. He played well Friday at the JDC, shooting 3-under 68, but a 74 in the opening round Thursday did him in.

Garrick Higgo has now missed the cut in all but 7 of his 17 starts in 2026. The two-time PGA Tour winner posted a pair of even-par 71s at the John Deere Classic and will be packing it up early again this week. His best finish of the season thus far is a T-19 at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson in May.

Mason Howell became the third-youngest player to ever win the U.S. Amateur last year and it earned him a sponsor invite into the John Deere Classic this week, where he shot rounds of 72 and 75. He’s now missed the cut in all six of his PGA Tour appearances in 2026, but he’s still only 19 years old and will head to the University of Georgia to begin his college career this fall.

Nick Stavas is a digital producer and commerce writer for Golfweek. Follow him on X/Twitter (@nickstavas).

This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Who missed the cut at the John Deere Classic? Notable names who won’t play the weekend