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Zach Johnson, the 2012 John Deere Classic winner, headlines the field at TPC Deere Run next week. (Jon Durr/Getty Images)
• FEDEXCUP: Winner receives 500 points.
• CHARITY: Nearly 500 Quad Cities organizations receive contributions from the John Deere Classic’s “Birdies for Charity” giving, which raised $8.73 million during last year’s edition. The tournament annually ranks No. 1 in charity donations per capita on the PGA TOUR.
• FIELD WATCH: Iowa native and 2012 winner Zach Johnson headlines the roster, joined by three-time Deere champion Steve Stricker and Quicken Loans National winner Billy Hurley III. … Vaughn Taylor (AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am) and Peter Malnati (Sanderson Farms) give the field two others among this season’s champions. … With 2015 champ Jordan Spieth not in the field, and more than a dozen other top names playing in golf’s first Olympic tournament since 1904, Kevin Na (No. 32) is next highest in the world rankings behind Johnson. … Jon Rahm, with special temporary status after a pair of top-3 finishes since turning pro, heads a new-pro brigade that includes NCAA champion Aaron Wise, Lee McCoy, Charlie Danielson, Jordan Niebrugge and Robby Shelton.
• 72-HOLE RECORD: 258, Steve Stricker (2010).
• 18-HOLE RECORD: 59, Paul Goydos (1st round, 2010).
• LAST YEAR: Jordan Spieth claimed his second John Deere title in three years, needing a playoff before outlasting Tom Gillis on the second extra hole. Spieth took a two-shot lead into the final round, but found himself trailing by two at the turn after Gillis birdied six of his first eight holes. Gillis wound up with eight birdies in his first 12, but cooled off as Spieth birdied four of his last six – including a chip-in from the fringe at No.16 – to force the playoff. Both men parred the first extra hole, but Gillis’ drive on the third trip through No.18 found rough, leading to a second shot that went into the water. Spieth’s victory was his fourth of 2015, becoming the first man since Tiger Woods (2000) to win four times before the British Open. Gillis, 46, was attempting to become the TOUR's oldest first-time winner in 20 years.
• STORYLINES: Johnson, a Cedar Rapids native and JDC board member, has finished outside the top three just once in his past seven visits, including a pair of runner-up finishes and missing last year’s playoff by a stroke. He is a combined 124-under par in that stretch and all 28 rounds have been in the 60s. … Stricker, with two top-5 finishes since May, takes another shot at becoming the Classic’s first four-time winner. His run from 2009-11 remains the last time anyone has won a PGA TOUR event in three consecutive years. … Just one event remains after the JDC for players to crack the top 125 in FedExCup points for a playoff berth. Among those needing a surge: Retief Goosen (134th), Steve Wheatcroft (135th), Jerry Kelly (138th) and Sam Saunders (142nd).
• SHORT CHIPS: With this year’s reconfigured schedule to make room for the Olympics, this marks the first time since 2003 that the JDC has not been the lead-in to the British Open. It was a September event that year, preceded by four years when it followed the British. … Stricker and Danielson are among five University of Illinois alumni in the field, joined by D.A. Points, Scott Langley and Luke Guthrie.
• TELEVISION: Thursday-Friday, 5-8 p.m. ET (Golf Channel). Saturday-Sunday, 3-6 p.m. (CBS).
• PGA TOUR LIVE: Thursday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. (featured groups), 5-8 p.m. (featured holes).
• RADIO: Thursday-Friday, 1-8 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, 1-6 p.m. (PGA TOUR Radio on SiriusXM and PGATOUR.com).
To play TPC Deere Run, visit TEEOFF.COM to book a tee time. For more on all the courses in the TPC network, visit TPC.COM.
PGSF tour rolls into the John Deere and as usual, this tourney is all about the tee markers ,
love these
So as discussed previously , this week will be our usual tournament , plus bonus points for Olympic golf, which I will outline in separate post.
Congratulations to last weeks winner NoleLizards
DFS first to 12k, still going strong
Good Luck to everyone this week
