“Just awesome stuff” - Amanda Balionis hails Brian Campbell’s full-circle John Deere Classic moment

Brian Campbell secured his second PGA Tour title on Sunday, July 7, with a playoff victory over Emiliano Grillo at the 2025 John Deere Classic. The 32-year-old carded a final-round 4-under 67 to finish 18-under for the week at TPC Deere Run, before clinching the title with a birdie on the first extra hole.

Campbell’s victory is even more special given his history with the event. A decade ago, he made his PGA Tour debut at the John Deere Classic as an amateur in 2015 but missed the cut. Now, 10 years later, he returned to lift the trophy at the same venue, completing a full-circle moment in his career.

Amanda Balionis, who covered the tournament for CBS, shared her appreciation for Campbell’s journey in an Instagram post. She wrote:

"10 years after making his professional debut at the @johndeereclassic @brian_campbell4 now walks away from today as a winner of the event that helped to start it all. Add in the fact that Campbell went to school not far from here and feels so at home here you know this one meant a lot."

"For those who don’t know his story: Campbell turned pro in 2015 and made it out to the PGA TOUR in 2017. He promptly lost his card after his rookie year and it took him 7 years to earn his way back. He now is a ✌️time winner with plenty of job security. Just awesome stuff," she added.

Brian Campbell’s road back to the PGA Tour was anything but easy. After losing his card in 2017, he spent years on the Korn Ferry Tour and overcame injuries and illness to regain his status. Earlier this season, he picked up his first career win at the Mexico Open, and now he’s added another title to his name.

At TPC Deere Run, Brian Campbell played consistent golf all week with rounds of 65, 66, and 68 leading into Sunday. In the final round, he made six birdies and a double bogey to post 4-under for the day. The win boosted him from 59th to 28th in the FedEx Cup standings, and he now ranks 55th in the Official World Golf Ranking.

Brian Campbell calls John Deere Classic win ‘surreal’ after winning second title of 2025

Brian Campbell became the sixth player with multiple wins on the PGA Tour this season after his victory at the 2025 John Deere Classic. He joins Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Ryan Fox, Sepp Straka, and Ben Griffin on the list.

“Right now, it's surreal. I don't know what's going on. I have no words. I mean, to be let alone in a playoff and to finish it off this way, it's just been amazing," said Campbell, after earning $1.512 million and securing a three-year exemption on Tour," he said.

Reflecting on his approach to the week, Campbell added:

“There are things I can control and things I can't control. The best thing I can do is give myself as many looks as I can; I was doing that. So I think there were definitely moments in the week where I was thinking about, ‘Hey, you know, this could be a special week.’ I don't know if I like to let myself get ahead of myself and think about winning all that much, but I know if we stick around and keep doing the right things that we're going to be there in the end.”

The John Deere Classic was Brian Campbell’s 17th start of the 2025 season. Along with his two victories, he has two top-10s and two top-25 finishes so far. He has also missed two cuts and withdrawn from two events. His official season earnings now stand at $3,174,659, according to the PGA Tour.