The PGA Tour is making its annual stop at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Ill., for the playing of the 2016 John Deere Classic from August 11-14.
The event, which typically falls one week before the Open Championship, experienced a change in date this year as golf made its return to the Olympic Games. The tournament will move back to its July timeslot a week ahead of the Open in 2017.
Steve Stricker and Zach Johnson, both previous winners of the John Deere Classic headline the field, as they are joined by a host of other PGA Tour winners from the last two years, including Ben Crane, Chesson Hadley, J.J. Henry, Billy Hurley III, Peter Malnati, Troy Merritt, Seung-Yul Noh, Senden, Scott Stallings, Robert Streb, Stricker, Brian Stuard, Vaughn Taylor, Nick Taylor and Brendon Todd.
This year’s tournament has a purse of $4.8 million, with $864,000 of that going to the champion. Additionally, the winner will also 500 FedExCup points, which help determine a player’s eligibility for the FedExCup Playoffs.
Only the top 125 players on the PGA Tour qualify for the first round of the playoffs. Fourteen of the 15 players currently ranked between 120th and 135th in the standings are in the John Deere Classic field, which will surely lead to plenty of drama throughout the week.
Other emerging stars are in the field as well, including Arizona State graduate Jon Rahm, who was ranked as the No. 1 amateur in the country before recently turning professional.
For those attending the event, organizers have put a focus on upgrades to the Family Zone, which is an air-conditioned facility where parents can take their children for some fun and games.