John Deere Classic
| Location | Silvis, Illinois, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Established | 1971 |
| Course(s) | TPC Deere Run |
| Par | 71 |
| Length | 7,257 yards (6,636 m) |
| Tour(s) | PGA Tour |
| Format | Stroke play |
| Prize fund | $4.8 million |
| Month played | July |
| Aggregate | 258 Steve Stricker (2010) |
| To par | −26 Steve Stricker (2010) |
 Ryan Moore
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The John Deere Classic is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour. It is played annually in July, the week before the British Open, at TPC Deere Run in the Quad Cities community of Silvis, Illinois.
The tournament began as the Quad Cities Open in 1971 and was a "satellite event" on the PGA Tour. It became an official tour event in 1972.Ed McMahon served as tournament host from 1975 to 1979. Title sponsors have included Miller Brewing Company (1982–85), Hardee's (1986–94) and John Deere (since 1999).
From the event's inception in 1971 through 1974, it was played at Crow Valley Country Club in Davenport, Iowa. It then moved to Oakwood Country Club in Coal Valley, Illinois from 1975 to 1999. Beginning in 2000, the event has been at the TPC at Deere Run in Silvis.
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 Open the following week and was a significant part of his PGA Tour Rookie of the Year season. The 2013 edition saw Jordan Spieth, two weeks shy of his 20th birthday, become the first teenager to win on the PGA Tour since 1931.
Its placement on the schedule just before the British Open has been called "a challenge" by ESPN golf columnist Bob Harig. He noted in a 2012 piece that the Quad Cities are six time zones behind the United Kingdom, and The Open is played on links courses that are radically different from that used for the John Deere Classic. To help attract players who will compete in The Open, since 2008 the John Deere Classic has sponsored a charter flight that leaves the Quad Cities on Sunday night and arrives in Britain the next morning. Despite this, Harig noted that golfers who play both events "are missing acclimation time. And practice time on a unique golf course, a style that few play regularly."
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