John Deere Classic Winners and History

John Deere Classic Winners and History

The John Deere Classic began life in 1971 as the Quad Cities Open. For its first four years, it was played at the Crow Valley Country Club in Davenport, Iowa. (The other members of the Quad Cities are Moline and Rock Island Illinois, and Bettendorf and East Moline, Iowa. Yes, there are five in the quad). The winner the first two years was Deane Beman, who later would serve as PGA Commissioner from 1974 to 1994.

In 1975, the event was renamed the Ed McMahon-Jaycees Quad Cities Open, and moved to Oakwood Country Club in Coal Valley, Illinois. It stayed there until 1999, under various names, including the Miller High LIfe Quad Cities Open, the Lite Quad Cities Open, the Hardees Golf Classic, and the Quad City Classic.

John Deere became the sponsor in 1999, and in 2000, the event moved to the TPC at Deere Run in Silvis, Illinois.

The tournament has for years been played in July, the week before the British Open, and this has at times made it difficult for the event to attract a strong field. However, the (British) Open Championship grants an exemption to a player who finishes in the top five at the Deere, who is not already otherwise qualified. That sort of qualifying has produced some good results in the past. Open Champion Ben Curtis got into the tournament by virtue of a 13th place finish at the Western Open, played two weeks before the Open.

In what was seen as largely as a publicity stunt, the John Deere gave Michelle Wie a sponsor’s exemption in 2005. Wie shot a -1, missing the cut by two strokes. She got another exemption in 2006, and finished six over par on the first day, then withdrew after the ninth on the second, citing heat exhaustion.

Steve Stricker and DA Weibring have each won the event three times.

• D. A. Weibring: 1979, 1991, 1995
• Steve Stricker: 2009, 2010, 2011Steve Stricker holds the tournament record at -26 (2010)

A list of past John Deere Classic winners follows:

Year	Player	Score	To par	Margin
John Deere Classic
2023	Sepp Straka	263	-21	2 strokes
2022	JT Poston	263	-21	3 strokes
2021	Lucas Glover	265	-19	2 strokes
2020	COVID
2019	Dylan Frittelli	263	-21	2 strokes
2018	Michael Kim	257	-27	8 strokes
2017	Bryson DeChambeau	266	-18	1 stroke
2016	Ryan Moore	262	-22	2 Strokes
2015	Jordan Spieth (2)	264	−20	Playoff
2014	Brian Harman	262	−22	1 stroke
2013	Jordan Spieth	265	−19	Playoff
2012	Zach Johnson	264	−20	Playoff
2011	Steve Stricker (3)	262	−22	1 stroke
2010	Steve Stricker (2)	258	−26	2 strokes
2009	Steve Stricker	264	−20	3 strokes
2008	Kenny Perry	268	−16	Playoff
2007	Jonathan Byrd	266	−18	1 stroke
2006	John Senden	265	−19	1 stroke
2005	Sean O’Hair	268	−16	1 stroke
2004	Mark Hensby	268	−16	Playoff
2003	Vijay Singh	268	−16	4 strokes
2002	J. P. Hayes	262	−22	4 strokes
2001	David Gossett	265	−19	1 stroke
2000	Michael Clark II	265	−19	Playoff
1999	J. L. Lewis	261	−19	Playoff
Quad City Classic
1998	Steve Jones	263	−17	1 stroke
1997	David Toms	265	−15	3 strokes
1996	Ed Fiori	268	−12	2 strokes
1995	D. A. Weibring (3)	197^	−13	1 stroke
Hardee’s Golf Classic
1994	Mark McCumber	265	−15	1 stroke
1993	David Frost (2)	259	−21	7 strokes
1992	David Frost	266	−14	3 strokes
1991	D. A. Weibring (2)	267	−13	1 stroke
1990	Joey Sindelar	268	−12	Playoff
1989	Curt Byrum	268	−12	1 stroke
1988	Blaine McCallister	261	−19	3 strokes
1987	Kenny Knox	265	−15	1 stroke
1986	Mark Wiebe	268	−12	1 stroke
Lite Quad Cities Open
1985	Dan Forsman	267	−13	1 stroke
Miller High Life QCO
1984	Scott Hoch (2)	266	−14	5 strokes
1983	Danny Edwards	266	−14	Playoff
1982	Payne Stewart	268	−12	2 strokes
Quad Cities Open
1981	Dave Barr	270	−10	Playoff
1980	Scott Hoch	266	−14	3 strokes
Ed McMahon-Jaycees Quad Cities Open
1979	D. A. Weibring	266	−14	2 strokes
1978	Victor Regalado	269	−15	1 stroke
1977	Mike Morley	267	−17	1 stroke
1976	John Lister	268	−16	2 strokes
1975	Roger Maltbie	275	−9	1 stroke
Quad Cities Open
1974	Dave Stockton	271	−13	1 stroke
1973	Sam Adams	268	−16	3 strokes
1972	Deane Beman (2)	279	−5	1 stroke