The PGA Tour remains in the Midwest this week with the long-running John Deere Classic.
The 53rd edition of The John Deere will be contested at its permanent home since 2000: TPC Deere Run. Situated along the Rock River, just a couple of miles south of where the Mississippi River divides Moline (IL) and Davenport (IA), TPC Deere Run will play to a par 71, and stretch out to 7,289 yards for the championship.
Sepp Straka will defend his 2023 title against one of the weaker fields this season with not a single player ranked inside the top 20 of the Official World Golf Rankings.
Here are more details on what to watch for this week at The John Deere.
2024 John Deere Classic
Pro Golf Weekly previews the PGA Tour stop at TPC Deere Run in this week’s 2024 John Deere Classic Primer.
The Skinny
Tournament:Â John Deere Classic
Title Sponsor: John Deere
Tour Debut: 1971
Dates:Â July 4-7, 2024
Where: Silvis, Ill.
Course:Â TPC Deere Run
Distance: Par 71, 7289 yards
Architect: D.A. Weibring/Chris Gray
Format: Stroke Play
Purse: $8,000,000
Winning Share: $1,440,000
Defending Champion:Â Sepp Straka
How to Follow the John Deere Classic
TELEVISION: Thu-Fri: 4-7 p.m. (GOLF); Sat-Sun: 1-3 p.m. (GOLF), 3-6 p.m. (CBS)
PGA TOUR LIVE: Thu-Fri: 7:45 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sat-Sun: 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
RADIO: Thu-Fri: 1-7 p.m.; Sat-Sun: 1-6 p.m.
LINKS: Website | Instagram | Facebook
John Deere Classic History
The John Deere Classic started as a rare Iowa event, playing as a satellite event called the Quad Cities Open in 1971, and became an official event the following season.
The Hawkeye State only had hosting honors for four years before the tournament moved to Coal Valley, Ill., and in 2000, the event permanently moved to TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Ill.
The inaugural event was won by Deane Beman, a man who would go on to become PGA commissioner. Beman won again in 1972, making the John Deere Classic half of his four career victories. Over the years, other notable winners have included Dave Stockton, Roger Maltbie, Payne Stewart, Vijay Singh, Steve Stricker, Zach Johnson, Jordan Spieth, and Bryson DeChambeau.
TPC Deere Run was designed by D.A. Weibring, a three-time winner of the John Deere Classic, which ties him for first all-time with Stricker. The scoring is typically very low, as the last 14 tournaments have featured a champion with a score of -18 or lower. This was also the site of a 59, shot by Paul Goydos in 2010.
The scoring was so low that year that despite the 59, Goydos only led by a single stroke after the first round. That edition was taken by Stricker, who finished at a tournament record 26-under par.
The course was also the site of Michelle Wie’s 2004 and 2005 attempts to make the cut at a men’s event.
One of the prevailing themes tied to the history of this tournament is its frequent status as a launching pad for talented young players.
Spieth became the first teenager to win on the PGA Tour since 1931 when he claimed his first career victory at the 2013 John Deere. Jason Day made his first PGA Tour start on a sponsor’s invite in 2006.
Other talented young players who have played this event on sponsor’s invites over the years include Justin Thomas, Jon Rahm, Patrick Reed and 2017 champion DeChambeau.
History: Tournament Names
- John Deere Classic (1999-)
- Quad City Classic (1995-98)
- Hardee’s Golf Classic (1986-94)
- Lite Quad Cities Open (1985)
- Miller High Life QCO (1982-84)
- Quad Cities Open (1980-81)
- Ed McMahon-Jaycees Quad Cities Open (1975-79)
- Quad Cities Open (1972-74)
History: Recent Winners
2023: Sepp Straka (-21)
2022: J. T. Poston (-21)
2022: Lucas Glover (-19)
2021: COVID (-19)
2019: Dylan Frittelli (-21)
2018: Michael Kim (-27)
2017: Bryson DeChambeau (-18)
2016: Ryan Moore (-22)
2015: Jordan Spieth (-20)
2014: Brian Harman (-22)
2013: Jordan Spieth (-19)
2012: Zach Johnson (-20)
2011: Steve Stricker (-22)
2010: Steve Stricker (-26)
2009: Steve Stricker (-20)
History: Records
Scoring
257 (-27) Michael Kim (2018)
258 (-26) Steve Stricker (2010)
Wins
3 – D.A. Weibring (1979, 1991, 1995)
3 – Steve Stricker (2009-11)
2 – Deane Beman (1971-72)
2 – Scott Hoch (1980, 1984)
2 – David Frost (1992-93)
2 – Jordan Spieth (2013, 2015)
Field at TPC Deere Run
The field’s highest ranked player is Sepp Straka, who enters as the world No. 24 and in decent form. Straka enters in solid form, having posted four top-10 finishes in his last seven starts, including three top-5s.
Jason Day is the next highest ranked player at No. 28. The former world No. 1 got the 2024 season off to a strong start with three top-10 finishes in his first five starts. But since leaving the west coast, Day has produced just a single top-10 result in his last 11 starts.
Sungjae Im, at No. 29, is the only other top-30 player in the field and enters in great form. In his seven most recent starts, Im owns five top-10s headlined by a win in Korea and two top-5s (T3 Travelers, T4 Wells Fargo).
While no longer a top-10 ranked player, the biggest name in the field this week is two-time John Deere champion Jordan Spieth. The three-time major winner enters in terrible form, though, with just one top-10 (T10 Valero) in his last 14 starts.
Lucas Glover, the winner here 2021, will also tee it up this week. The American has struggled as of late and will be seeking his first top-10 finish of 2024.
Another John Deere winner is JT Poston (2022), who got 2024 off to a hot start with two top-6 finishes in Hawaii. But since a T6 at the Sony, Poston has posted just two more top-10s all season spanning 15 tournaments. Still, he’s onew of the best players in the field and a former winner here.
Denny McCarthy is another player to keep an eye on this week at the Deere. The Maryland native, who is still in search of his maiden win, has finished T6 in back-to-back starts at the Deere.
Top-5 Betting Favorites
1. Sungjae Im 12-1
2. Sepp Straka 16-1
3. Denny McCarthy 18-1
4. Aaron Rai 20-1
5. Jordan Spieth 22-1
Full Field & Odds
TPC Deere Run | Silvis, Illinois | July 4-7, 2024
Credit: PGA Tour, Getty Images, DraftKings Sportsbook
