The only player not in the mix Saturday was 36-hole leader Doug Ghim, who played his last 10 holes with two bogeys and no birdies and shot 74, pushing him outside the top 20.

If Doug Ghim goes on to win the 2025 John Deere Classic, he can credit his adroit use of the approach shot. Through the first 32 holes of the tournament this week at TPC Deere Run, the Ghim Reaper as he's sometimes called, has holed out five times, two of them from great distance.

Ghim's amateur resume is stacked with victories at prestigious events and representing the U.S. at both the Palmer and Walker Cup matches. Then, of course, there was that week at Augusta National where he made multiple eagles and walked away with crystal goblets, the event reward for making an eagle. Those moments at Augusta were pure magic.