SILVIS, Ill. — They say magic happens out at the John Deere Classic. But one trick truly floats above the rest.
New to the 2023 tournament, a John Deere gator floats atop the water feature on the 18th hole. While it may seem to be sparked by a little magic, the gator actually rests on a submerged pontoon raft built by local students.
In the summer of 2022, six area students became John Deere apprentices. The crew worked 40 hours a week throughout the summer, learning all the skills needed to become a commercial welder. Then as school began, they transitioned to four hours a day, five days a week, continuing their work at John Deere.
Once they graduated high school in May 2023, all six apprentices were hired on full-time by John Deere.
But before they graduated, the students completed their largest project yet: the floating gator.
"It was pretty big and we were working on it for a couple of weeks," said Jorge Rosas, one of the students. "It was a cool experience because it was something new, something I've never done before."
It took three weeks to construct the massive structure. The pontoon replaced the previous water feature, which was a gator resting atop a small, rocky island.
"I'm very proud of it, I like how it came out," said Kaeden McKay, another one of the students. "And it floats, so that's always good!"
Beyond being the largest, most labor intensive project the group got to work on, it's also the most viewed. The gator was visible to the thousands of fans out at the 2023 John Deere Classic, as well as all the television viewers both in the Quad Cities, and around the world.
The kids also built ten benches used out at the tournament. The welded metal frames were adorned with John Deere riding lawn mower seats.
"We had to fabricate a different mounting system to put the new seats on. We also eventually figured out that we needed to add slots so they could be picked up by a forklift so it'd be a lot more safe," McKay said.
Not only does the work benefit the community, John Deere weld trainer Zac Carter says it also helps out the local industry.
"There's a shortage of welders everywhere," Carter said. "Kids are so receptive. They learn quickly, they're attentive, and if they're really involved, they're going to progress. This is a skill they'll have for a lifetime."
Throughout their time as apprentices, the students practiced different welding techniques, positions and angles. There were also lessons on 'softer' skills, such as presentations and public speaking.
Now, a new class of students is working away at John Deere. The number has doubled to 12, although Carter says he would like to have up to 20, if possible.
"It's a very nice, friendly environment that I feel like I can advance in," McKay said. "I'd say this is the best program, if you're a high schooler and you want to get into the trades or into the workforce, this would be the best way right out of high school."
Photographer Jenny Hipskind contributed to this story by shooting the attached video.
Watch more coverage of the John Deere Classic on News 8's YouTube channel