SILVIS, Ill. — Some former champions of John Deere Classics past have descended on TPC Deere Run for another shot at the course.
Steve Stricker
Steve Stricker, a Wisconsin native, won the John Deere Classic three years in a row: 2009, 2010, and 2011.
He comes to the 2021 tournament riding a win at the Senior Players just weeks prior. He's also the captain of the Ryder Cup.
Stricker hasn't been at a JDC tournament since 2018.
"It's a special week here," said Stricker in an interview. "It felt like a no brainer to come back here and to play here.
Listen to his interview below:
Zach Johnson
Zach Johnson won the John Deere Classic in 2012.
He's known around the Quad Cities for his Iowa ties, as a Cedar Rapids native, but also for his deep-rooted involvement with the tournament. Johnson has sat on the board for the last 14 years.
His performance in the tournament has also been noted by fans; at one point in his career Johnson shot in 60s for 29 straight rounds.
In an interview, Johnson said his "wisdom" was his number one strength, "because of my age."
Johnson said he comes into the Classic with strong recent putting stats and says his play is always a work in progress.
"My game's good," he said. "I've probably said that every time I've come to this event."
Brian Harman
Brian Harman championed the tournament in 2014. He joins the field in the 2021 John Deere Classic as the 4th highest-ranked player in the field.
In the months leading up to the Quad Cities event, Harman racked up nine top-15 finishes.
Harman, from Georgia, came to the 2021 tournament singing the praises of TPC Deere Run.
"It's a great golf tournament on a great course and they haven't tried to reinvent the wheel with it," he said.