Why there will never be another Tiger Woods

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• COURSE: TPC Deere Run, 7,268 yards, par 71. Built on rolling landscape alongside the Rock River, D.A. Weibring’s 1999 design deftly mixes scenic views and risk/reward challenge on a site that once housed a long-ago tribal village and later an Arabian horse-breeding operation. Weibring used dramatic elevation changes to frame several holes, notably the downhill 14th that measures 361 yards and tempts long hitters to drive a green that offers punishment for shots either long or left. Typically a place that yields low scores, Deere Run carved its place in the record book seven years ago when Paul Goydos carded just the fourth 59 recorded on the PGA TOUR. Eventual winner Steve Stricker shot 60 that day. • FEDEXCUP: Winner receives 500 points. • CHARITY: The John Deere Classic has raised more than $70 million for Quad Cities charities since its 1971 inception, most of it generated by its “Birdies for Charity� program. The tournament annually ranks No.1 in charity donations per capita on the PGA TOUR. • FIELD WATCH: 2012 champion and JDC board member Zach Johnson tops the roster, joined FedEx St. Jude Classic winner Daniel Berger and Dean & Deluca Invitational champ Kevin Kisner. … In all, six of this season’s tournament winners and seven of the FedExCup top 30 will tee it up at Deere Run. … Stricker, whose three-peat from 2009-11 still stands as the last time anyone has captured the same PGA TOUR event three straight years, returns for his 16th appearance. … Two of the top four players in the world amateur rankings are set to play on sponsor invites. Maverick McNealy, whose 11 tournament wins at Stanford matched that of Tiger Woods and Patrick Rodgers, holds the No.2 ranking and former Illinois standout Dylan Meyer stands fourth. • 72-HOLE RECORD: 258, Steve Stricker (2010). • 18-HOLE RECORD: 59, Paul Goydos (1st round, 2010). • LAST YEAR: Ryan Moore collected his fifth PGA TOUR victory, playing bogey-free over his final 46 holes to finish off a two-stroke win over Ben Martin. Three birdies on Deere Run’s front nine pushed Moore to a five-shot advantage on the final day, throttling back with pars after the turn while Martin used a three-birdie run to pull within two. That was the closest anyone got, though, as Moore left no opening down the stretch in a closing 67. Moore carded just one bogey over the entire week, notching his first win since 2014 in Malaysia. The performance began a run of four top-10 finishes in six starts for Moore – three in the FedExCup playoffs – to place seventh in the final FedExCup standings. It also earned the former UNLV standout a captain’s selection to the U.S. Ryder Cup team, where he helped the Americans celebrate their first win since 2008. • STORYLINES: Johnson, a Cedar Rapids native, owns six top-three finishes in his past eight visits, with three runner-up finishes go to with his 2012 win. He’s a combined 133-under par in that stretch; last year’s second-day 71 ended a run of 29 consecutive rounds in the 60s. … Stricker, who owns three top-16 finishes this season in just eight starts, seeks again to become the Classic’s first four-time winner. He also has four top-10 finishes in five starts on the PGA TOUR Champions. … The final Open Championship berth next week awaits the highest top-5 finisher who hasn’t already punched his ticket to Royal Birkdale. • SHORT CHIPS: A total of 15 entrants at Deere Run already have qualified for next week’s Open lineup, including Moore and 2015 champion golfer Johnson. A charter flight awaits them Sunday night, provided by Deere Classic officials each year to fly them across the Atlantic. … The University of Illinois again is well-represented with five entrants – Stricker, Meyer, D.A. Points, Brian Campbell and current Illini golfer Nick Hardy. Friday traditionally is designated as Illini Day at Deere Run. • TELEVISION: Thursday-Friday, 4-7 p.m. ET (Golf Channel). Saturday-Sunday, 1-2:30 p.m. (GC), 3-6 p.m. (CBS). • PGA TOUR LIVE: Thursday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. (featured groups), 4-7 p.m. (featured holes). • RADIO: Thursday-Friday, 1-7 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, 1-6 p.m. (PGA TOUR Radio on SiriusXM and PGATOUR.com). For more on all the courses in the TPC network, visit TPC.com.  Play where the pros play. To book your tee time at TPC Deere Run, visit TeeOff.com.

Click here to read the full article…

Click here to read the full article…