Some of the top-ranked players in the world, including No. 17 Ben Griffin, No. 25 Sungjae Im, and No. 28 Jason Day, are in the Quad Cities for the John Deere Classic. They’re joined by Rickie Fowler, who’s teeing it up on TPC Deere Run for the first time in 15 years, about a year after turning professional.
“It’s definitely a golf course. play well, there is a lot of offense. You can make a lot of birdies around this place,” Fowler said. “I’ve always kept up with the event, depending on some buddies playing or Jordan, Zach, Stricker back in the day, the guys that were in contention. So, I remember the course a little bit, but it’s a little different watching, whether it’s on the app or TV versus actually playing.”
The 36-year-old, six-time PGA TOUR winner chose to bypass next week’s Genesis Scottish Open and will travel to Northern Ireland for the 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush, July 17-20.
The John Deere Classic is the 30th event of the regular season, with only five weeks remaining until the start of the FedEx Cup Playoffs. For the first time in its 19-year history, only those ranked among the top 70 are eligible to advance to golf’s postseason, down from 100 a year ago. Fowler is on the outside looking in, currently in 72nd place.
“I have always played the Scottish before the British. That was just always my schedule,” Fowler added. “This year I felt to free up the potential of the back end the British and playing potentially 3M and/or Greensboro (Wyndham Championship), I figured having Scottish off before the British and playing these three weeks in a row, Travelers, Rocket, and here at the Deere, felt like was a better flow.”
Other top players in the field who are on the bubble include Chris Kirk (No. 67), Davis Thompson (No. 70), and Karl Vilips (No. 73).
It so happens that Thompson is the defending champion after shooting a tournament record 28-under par, becoming the 24th player to win his first TOUR event in the Quad Cities and the first since Dylan Frittelli in 2019. The 26-year-old Alabama native and University of Georgia Bulldog will try to be the first repeat winner of this event since Steve Stricker claimed three in a row from 2009-11.
Fratelli and Thompson join four other past John Deere Classic winners: Lucas Glover (2021), Zach Johnson (2012), Michael Kim (2018), and J.T. Poston (2022). Thursday marks Johnson’s 23rd consecutive start here.
Six-time PGA TOUR winner Rickie Fowler and Rookie Luke Clanton Seeking Their First John Deere Classic Victory
Rising Stars Set to Shine
As an amateur last year, Florida State University’s Luke Clanton finished 24-under par and in a tie for second place. As you might imagine, he vividly recalls the closing stretch of his final round.
“Hitting the 9-iron on 16, even though me and my caddie couldn’t figure out a number on that tee box for about a minute. Hit it right in the middle of the green; made a birdie,” Clanton said. “Hit a great 5-iron on 17 for birdie. Obviously, the putt on the last hole was pretty sweet.”
Earning his TOUR status earlier this season, Clanton is making the most of his opportunities while being very thoughtful and poised about the life-changing opportunities ahead of him.
“I’m still 21 years old and still learning. I didn’t finish college yet. It’s been a lot,” Clanton added. “As we go forward it’s about learning to plan throughout the weeks and how we prep and how we do everything.”
Another golfer to keep an eye on is 20-year-old Aldrich Potgieter. On Sunday at the Rocket Classic in Detroit, the South African drained an 18-foot birdie putt on the fifth playoff hole to defeat Max Greyserman, becoming the youngest player from his country to win on the PGA TOUR.
The top three players in the World Amateur Golf Ranking are here on sponsor exemptions: Auburn junior Jackson Koivun (No. 1), University of Virginia senior and two-time First Team All-American Ben James (No. 2), and Ole Miss senior and NCAA individual champion Michael La Sasso (No. 3). James has made two cuts in eight career PGA TOUR starts, while La Sasso will make his third career TOUR start.
Koivun finished tied for fourth in stroke play at the 2025 NCAA Championship to earn the final point needed to reach the 20-point threshold in PGA TOUR University Accelerated and will be eligible to take up PGA TOUR membership after his collegiate career. He’s the third player to earn TOUR status through Accelerated, joining Vanderbilt’s Gordon Sargent and Clanton.
Here To Stay
John Deere became the title sponsor in 1998 and signed a multi-year extension through 2030 last month. That gives Deere and Company the second-longest run, behind only AT&T, which became the title sponsor of the Pebble Beach Pro-Am in 1986.
John Deere Classic on TV
Television coverage will be on Golf Channel and CBS, with featured coverage on ESPN+.
All times Eastern:
- Thursday, July 3: Golf Channel, 4-7 p.m.
- Friday, July 4: Golf Channel, 4-7 p.m.
- Saturday, July 5: Golf Channel, 1-3 p.m., followed by CBS, 3-6 p.m.
- Sunday, July 6: Golf Channel, 1-3 p.m., followed by CBS, 3-6 p.m.
ESPN+ Coverage:
- ESPN+ will offer exclusive early coverage and featured group streaming coverage beginning at 8 a.m. ET.
