John Deere Classic: A Major for Zach Johnson

Silvis, Illinois – The 2026 John Deere Classic has kicked off, and for Zach Johnson, this tournament feels like a major. The Iowa native, who is currently competing in his first year on the PGA Tour Champions, has made a decision to skip three majors – the U.S. Senior Open, the Senior British Open, and the British Open – to focus on this event. This bold move has already paid off, as Johnson finished his first round with an impressive 7-under 64, leaving him just one shot out of the lead.

Johnson’s decision to prioritize the John Deere Classic was not taken lightly. As he explained, ‘I just love being here, and I’m comfortable, obviously. My scorecard… I know that’s an ingredient this week, but it’s not everything. I can’t stress it enough. I’m just appreciative of having a partnership with John Deere and feeling like a long, long-distance son to this area.’ Johnson’s love for the John Deere Classic is evident, as he has already won the tournament in 2012.

Other Notable Players

Lucas Glover and Zac Blair also played in the morning and each posted a 63, a good start for both as the PGA Tour heads into the final two months. Glover, who will be joining the PGA Tour board next year, is currently at No. 119 in the FedEx Cup. His exemption from winning back-to-back weeks in 2023 – including a FedEx Cup playoff event – ends after this year. Blair, on the other hand, is at No. 160 and has been playing where he can, along with Korn Ferry Tour events.

Stephan Jaeger and Lee Hodges joined Johnson at 64. Jaeger is at No. 60 in the FedEx Cup, wanting to be sure he’s among the top 70 in six weeks to qualify for the postseason. Jordan Spieth, playing the Deere for only the second time since winning in 2015, had a double bogey on the 18th hole in the middle of his round and closed with a bogey for a 69.

Scoring was good, as usual, with 20 players at 66 or lower. That included NCAA champion Preston Stout, who takes over as the No. 1 amateur in the world because Jackson Koivun turned pro. Koivun made his professional debut and it was a struggle, as he wound up with a 73, leaving him in danger of missing the cut.

Quotes from the Players

Zach Johnson: ‘I just love being here, and I’m comfortable, obviously. My scorecard… I know that’s an ingredient this week, but it’s not everything. I can’t stress it enough. I’m just appreciative of having a partnership with John Deere and feeling like a long, long-distance son to this area.’

Lucas Glover: ‘Even struggling like I have this year, you pull down the driveway somewhere you’ve had success, it gives you a good feeling. Yeah, always liked it here.’

Zac Blair: ‘Playing golf professionally is pretty stressful, especially for me. I’ve kind of always been right in that 125 to 150 spot my whole career. So every start is important. Just trying to do a good job of playing well, whichever kind of tour I’m playing on. It’s still golf at the end of the day, which is fun.’

Statistics

• Zach Johnson finished his first round with an impressive 7-under 64, leaving him just one shot out of the lead.

• Lucas Glover and Zac Blair each posted a 63, a good start for both as the PGA Tour heads into the final two months.

• Glover is currently at No. 119 in the FedEx Cup, while Blair is at No. 160.

• Stephan Jaeger is at No. 60 in the FedEx Cup, wanting to be sure he’s among the top 70 in six weeks to qualify for the postseason.

• Jordan Spieth had a double bogey on the 18th hole in the middle of his round and closed with a bogey for a 69.