The Steve Stricker Open: The John Deere Classic

With a combined score, over the last three years, of 68 under par and earnings close to $2.5 Million, it must seem like Steve Stricker is the only golfer to ever win the John Deere Classic. Well, since 2009, this has been the case. Most professional golfer might even call this a career, but beleive it or not there have been other winners at this tournament.

Stricker hits from the 17th fairway during the first round of the Greenbrier Classic at the The Old White TPC. (Bob Donnan-US PRESSWIRE)

Steve is not the only golfer to have won this tournament three times. Although they weren’t consecutive wins, D.A. Weibring won in

1979 as the Ed McManon Jaycees Quad Cities Open, 1991 as The Hardee’s Golf Classic, and again in 1995 as the Quad Cities Classic.

Actually, The John Deere Classic is somewhat easy pickings. Everybody who is anybody, is getting ready for the British Open, but because he can’t seem to loose , he has to to keep returning as the defending champion. Sounds good to me. Traditionally, most of the tour players are somewhere in Europe getting used to the time change, the weather and the food, in preparation for the Ultimate prize. The Claret Jug.

This weekend’s tournament, The John Deere Classic is played at TPC Deere Run tees off  Thursday morning, and is located in Silvis, Illinois, and is a Par 71 layout that plays to 7257 yards. The golf course was established in 1971.

This tournament started out as The Quad Cities Open in 1971 and was considered a satellite tournament. It was named as an official tour stop in 1972. The event has been sponsored by Ed McManon, the Miller Brewing Company, Hardees Restaurants and since 1999, The John Deere Company. The tournament was originally played at the Crow Valley Country Club in Davenport Iowa, moved to the Oakwood Country Club in Coal Valley Illinois in 1975, and on to Deere Run in 2000.

In 2005, Michelle Wie was given a sponsors exemption so she could play in a PGA men’s tournament. Thousands of fans flocked to Deere Run to watch the 15 year old play against the men in this historic event. She shot a ( -1 ) 70 in the first round, and was 4 under par after 32 holes. She went on a double bogey, bogey run, and missed the cut by one stroke with a (-1) par 141.

In 2006, after making a men’s tournament in Korea, she again got a sponsors exemption and shot a (+6) in the first round. She fell two more strokes behind on the second day and withdrew from the tournament citing heat exhaustion.

Some notable winners in this tournament over the years, were Payne Stewart in 1982, VJ Singh in 2003, and Kenny Perry being the last in 2008 since Steve Stricker’s current reign.

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