SILVIS, Ill — When you're surrounded by a perfectly primped and preened course, the pressure's on to make WQAD's home at the John Deere Classic just as classy.
The team at Uncommon Ground has met the task well. Centered around a stone patio, the set will soon be filled with just some of the 20,000 flowers the landscaping company has been growing for the tournament. And when the tournament finally tees off, it's time for lights...camera...action!
For 2024, with WQAD returning as the official television station of the John Deere Classic, we decided we had to be even classier.
"You have expanded the set on me, yes, but no pressure. This is fun for us. We have a great time. My guys are so good at what they do," Uncommon Ground owner Mike Cavins said.
Everything about the set is bigger and better. The walls and patio itself are larger, and there's even more cameras above the course.
"Raising the bar was what we needed to do," WQAD Engineer Bill Dobbelare said.
Dobbelare and our other engineers have been climbing trees, hanging wires, and expanding our coverage from one live camera to eight. All of the new tools will help us bring even more action from the course.
"This is my Super Bowl," Dobbelare said. "Once a year, I get to go to the Super Bowl. And I not only get to go to the Super Bowl and watch that level of event but also put it together for all our viewers to see."
You'll get to see the full set and all the new gadgets starting on Wednesday, July 3 when "The 19th Hole" returns.
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