SILVIS, Illinois — The John Deere Classic golf tournament was recognized by the PGA TOUR for its work with John Deere and community involvement.
On Wednesday, November 20 the John Deere Classic was awarded the honor “Best Title Sponsor Integration” for the second year in a row. Tournaments get that award for hosting an event that makes the best use of their title sponsor throughout the whole year. That includes having unique on-site branding, advertising, social media and charitable tie-ins, like Birdies for Charity.
In 2019, the John Deere Classic helped raise a record $13.82 million for 542 local charities. Throughout its lifetime, the tournament has raised $121 million for local charities; 99% of that has been raised since John Deere took over as the title sponsor in 1998.
The second award was for “Most Engaged Community.” The John Deere Classic has won that honor seven times; four times since 2014. Tournaments are awarded this honor for standing out in attendance, volunteer support, year-round community involvment, and programs that connect the community into the tournament and its charity partners.
There are more than 2,000 volunteers each year, spending more than 35,000 hours working on the tournament.
“On behalf of the PGA TOUR, I am thrilled to congratulate the John Deere Classic on being recognized with two “Best Of” awards for the 2018-2019 PGA TOUR Season,” said Andy Pazder, the chief tournaments and competitions officer. “The tournament committee and title sponsor, John Deere, should be extremely proud of their collaborative efforts as they continue to be a model for engaging with their community.”
When it comes to a social media following, the John Deere Classic is within the top five for the most followers in the PGA TOUR. That includes a following from Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
The 2020 John Deere Classic will be held from July 6 through 12.
