Why the golf world loves the John Deere Classic
Photographs courtesy of the John Deere Classic
This article appeared in the June 2025 edition of Chicago District Golfer.
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Davis Thompson strolls to victory on the 72nd hole at TPC Deere Run, where he shot a record total of 28-under-par and became the 24th first-time winner at the Quad Cities tournament.
Having worked as a PGA Tour media official and content producer for more than three decades, I had the great fortune of being front and center for some of the most remarkable and historic finishes in golf. From two of Tiger’s Masters victories, David Duval’s 13-under 59 in Palm Springs, Gary Woodland’s 2019 U.S. Open win at Pebble Beach and, more recently, Rory McIlroy’s win at this season’s Players Championship, I’ve been around.
In addition to the drama that unfolded on the course, I was also on site at many of the world’s greatest cities and resorts, fabulous golf courses and most pristine layouts amid engaging local vibes. From Augusta National and Pebble Beach, to Torrey Pines and TPC Sawgrass, each city and venue boasts unique characteristics to fuel a lifetime of good feelings and memories. Each event and popular city contained several very impressive parts to a pretty picture.
Among the best were San Diego, Monterey, Miami, Boston… and Moline.
Yes, you read that right, Moline, which was the best. One of the four Quad Cities (Moline and Rock Island in Illinois; Davenport and Bettendorf in Iowa), a community that has been hosting the John Deere Classic and its PGA Tour antecedents for more than 40 years. While I truly did enjoy all events I worked, something about the John Deere Classic, well, had me at “Hello.” In my 19 years as a PGA Tour Media Official, the only event I never once missed was – you guessed it – the John Deere Classic.
What made the Deere so special to me? My answer was always the same: everything. On a city scale, highlights included the convenience of getting into and out of the Quad Cities airport, the genuine kindness of residents working in the area’s hotels and restaurants and the passion with which everyone in the area embraced the John Deere Classic.
It came as no surprise to anyone in 2024 when, of all PGA Tour events, the John Deere Classic received the “Most Engaged Community” award from the PGA Tour…for a record ninth time.
“I love everything about this tournament. I love what it stands for. I love the people surrounding it and who's associated,” said 2012 John Deere Classic champion Zach Johnson, who hails from nearby Cedar Rapids, Iowa. “Certainly, it starts with John Deere, their pursuits and their priority in helping this community. And second, I would say it's the community and how they rally behind it and make it their own. That's Midwest people just doing the right thing.”
Not only is the exquisite TPC Deere Run popular among players, but the tournament staff and massive spectator turnouts are all the parts ideal for the perfect picture.
“I just love the community and the atmosphere here,” said 2022 victor J.T. Poston. “It feels a lot like home from where I'm from in North Carolina. It has kind of a smaller town feel and I have just always enjoyed being here. People love their golf in this area, and they get a chance to come every year and show some support to this golf tournament and see some of their favorite players play. The crowds, volunteers, staff and just everybody associated with the tournament has been so nice and supportive of me.”
The bulk of my time at the John Deere Classic was under the leadership of Tournament Director Clair Peterson. Not only was he well-versed and savvy on the business end of putting together a great tournament week (a year-long job), but his calm demeanor, kindness and infectious smile resulted in such accolades as being “the nicest guy on earth.” That sentiment was shared by players, caddies, fans, volunteers and tournament staff.
With seemingly impossible shoes to fill upon Clair’s retirement, Andrew Lehman emerged with his own shoes and continued to build upon all Peterson set into motion, all while adding his own unique and impressive flair. Andrew, a native of a small town in Iowa, had worked closely with Clair for over a decade and the tournament never missed a beat during the transition. It continues to evolve in exciting and impressive ways under Lehman’s leadership, including the addition of weekend concerts by internationally known stars.
And then there’s the action and drama on the course. For instance, before all of his other wins on Tour, Jordan Spieth announced himself at the 2013 John Deere Classic. He holed a greenside bunker shot on the 72nd hole to force sudden death with Johnson and David Hearn. On the fifth extra hole, Spieth would win his first career PGA Tour title and, at 19 years old, become the youngest winner on Tour since 1931. To say he exploded onto the golf world would be an understatement.
Then, two years later, having already won the 2015 Masters and U.S. Open, Spieth won the John Deere again, also in a sudden-death playoff, the week before continuing his quest for the single-season Grand Slam at the British Open at St. Andrews. Talk about drama. Spieth finished one shot out of a playoff at the Home of Golf. Johnson won and Spieth waited around to congratulate him.
“This golf course tends to provide a good finish, with some low and exciting rounds,” said Poston. “I think it can be very fun and entertaining to watch. That definitely draws them over here.”
The John Deere Classic is the only top-tier professional sports event in the Quad Cities. As a result, all local TV stations are on site all day, every day, and often produce special post-round shows live from TPC Deere Run. While each local network affiliate strives to deliver their best and most unique product, regardless of which station individuals work for, all are friends and help one another out. In a competitive business like that, seeing them all work together is astounding. Not something you always see in larger markets.
With regard to the tournament, the list of superlatives goes on and on…and on. TPC Deere Run is a remarkable test of golf for the game’s greatest players. Not only is it meticulously groomed every year, but its sprawling layout across the area’s undulating terrain demands creativity, risk and unflappable focus from those greatest players in the game.
Though it wasn’t an official part of the John Deere Classic tournament week, another highlight of my time at the event each year was the annual “Moonlight Chase” in Eldridge, Iowa. It’s a 4-mile race through the quaint and vibrant streets of rural Eldridge, population 6,726. I certainly never won it, or even placed impressively in my age division, but it was something I never missed. I often ran with staff members of the CBS Golf production crew, including my old friend Amanda Balionis, whom I’d worked with at the Tour before she became a network star.
“When you’re on the road as many weeks a year as we are, you’re always looking for something fun and unique to do to break up the monotony,” Balionis said. “One of my favorite things to do every season is the Moonlight Chase race in Eldridge. It is another reminder of the community’s pride. The fact that we can immerse ourselves not just in the tournament, but the community with events like the Moonlight Chase truly makes it one of the best weeks of my entire year.”
To me, the truest value of a person, place or thing lies in how it makes one feel. Not just in the moment but also in the days, months and years after the fact. Year after year, the John Deere Classic made countless fans, volunteers, staff and players feel significant, welcomed and, in many ways, at home.
“The John Deere Classic is another home for me,” added Johnson, who received two sponsor exemptions from Peterson early in his career and has returned every year since. “I don't say that lightly, nor do I take that for granted. Coming back here is special.”
Those takeaways not only do one’s head and heart a lot of good, but they also leave people certain the event will continue to be a resounding success across many levels, for many years to come…for a lot of people, me included.
Doug Milne worked as a writer, content creator and media official for the PGA Tour for 30 years. In his role as a media official, he worked 19 consecutive John Deere Classics.
Thompson to Defend at John Deere Classic
Concerts to feature Zac Brown Band and Dierks Bentley
Davis Thompson, who won the 2024 John Deere Classic by four strokes with a record score of 28-under-par, will defend his title, July 3-6, at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Illinois.
You should be able to get at least a glimpse of Thompson at this month’s U.S. Open, where the 25-year-old former Georgia Bulldog finished ninth last year.
“My goal was to kick down the door and get a win,” Thompson said after his maiden PGA Tour victory in his second year on the circuit. He is the John Deere Classic’s 24th first-time winner since the tournament began in 1971.
This year could pose an issue between him and 2023 champion Sepp Straka. Thompson stayed at a rented home with several other players, most of whom played at Georgia, and wound up staying in the same room Straka did when he won. (Straka stayed elsewhere last year with his wife and newborn son). “Me and him might be fighting for that room,” Thompson said. By the way, 2022 champion J.T. Poston stayed in the same house the year he won. Although he went to college at Western Kentucky, his wife went to Georgia…
Two other young stars who tied for second last year are likely to be back – Luke Clanton (pictured), an amateur out of Florida State playing on a sponsor exemption, and Michael Thorbjornson, a Stanford graduate now in his first full year on Tour. Veterans and past champions Zach Johnson and Lucas Glover along with Straka and Poston are expected back.
This year’s Concerts on the Course promotion will feature country star Dierks Bentley on Saturday and the multi-Grammy Award-winning Zac Brown Band on Sunday. Both concerts are scheduled to begin shortly after play concludes adjacent to the 18th fairway. Anyone who buys a ticket to the tournament may attend the concert. Tickets can be found at johndeereclassic.com.
—Barry Cronin