Monday, July 8, through Sunday, July 14
TPC at Deere Run, 3100 Heather Knoll, Silvis IL
Designed to bring some serious swing into the summer, the 2019 John Deere Classic makes its annual return to Silvis' TPC at Deere Run from July 8 through July 14, with this professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour an annual thrill for golf fans landing the week before the start of the British Open.
The John Deere Classic began as the Quad Cities Open in 1971 and was first designated a “satellite event” on the PGA Tour. It became an official tour event in 1972, and from the event's inception in through 1974, it was played at Crow Valley Country Club in Davenport. It then moved to Oakwood Country Club in Coal Valley Illinois from 1975 to 1999, with Johnny Carson's beloved Tonight Show sidekick Ed McMahon serving as tournament host from 1975 to 1979. Beginning in 2000, the event has been held annually at the TPC at Deere Run.
In 2005 and 2006, the tournament generated more media coverage because of the sponsor's exemptions given to teenager Michelle Wie. In 2005, the tournament's storyline also revolved around Sean O'Hair, whose win qualified him to play in the British Open the following week and was a significant part of his PGA Tour Rookie of the Year season. The 2013 edition of the John Deere Classic saw Jordan Speith, two weeks shy of his 20th birthday, become the first teenager to win on the PGA Tour since 1931. In order to help attract players who will compete in the following week's British Open, the John Deere Classic, since 2008, has also sponsored a charter flight that leaves the Quad Cities on Sunday night and arrives in Britain the next morning. Since the introduction of the Open Qualifying Series, the John Deere Classic is a final chance for a player not already exempt to earn entry into the British Open if he finished in the top five.
This year's John Deere Classic kicks off at TPC at Deere Run at noon on July 8, with scheduled events taking place through the tournament's 5:30 p.m. trophy presentation on July 14. Admission prices include $30-580 daily rates and complete-tour packages; $20/day tickets for those with current college IDs; half-price tickets for teens at the gate; reduced rates for seniors and active duty, retired military, and veterans of the armed forces; and ages 12 and under free with a paid adult. For more information and tickets, visit JohnDeereClassic.com.
