The John Deere Classic has been a fixture on the PGA Tour since 1971 and sponsored by the tractor manufacturer since 1999.

While the likes of Jordan Spieth and Bryson DeChambeau have earned their maiden PGA victories here, the event doesn’t command the strongest fields these days as many players take time off around the Fourth of July. That leaves it as a likely candidate for the tour’s future “Challenger Series,” a second tier of events that would be closed off from top-tier players like Spieth.

For now, the John Deere still holds a special place on the calendar for many tour pros as TPC Deere Run gets set to host the 2026 edition starting Thursday in Silvis, Ill.

Spieth won his first PGA Tour title at the John Deere in 2013, when he was just 19 years old. He claimed the trophy again in 2015. The three-time major champion noted the unfortunate wrinkle of the tour’s new format, beginning in 2028, where players who win on the Challenger Series will likely be promoted to the more prestigious Championship Series and not be able to defend their titles.

“That is probably one of the stranger parts of the whole situation because most of the time guys go back to try to defend their titles,” Spieth said. “It’s definitely something that it’s almost like an unofficial job that you have in a way. … I would say for the most part if you do win, you’re most likely not going to be back at a Track 2 event.”

Spieth is one of just eight players ranked top-50 in the Official World Golf Ranking playing this week. Chris Gotterup and Ben Griffin are the highest at Nos. 13 and 18.

They’ll play a par-71, 7,327-yard track that can produce low scores, including the tournament record of 28-under 256 set by Davis Thompson two years ago. Organizers lengthened the par-4 fourth hole by some 40 yards after a nearly 100-year-old tree in the middle of the fairway had to be removed.

“That tree, it’s kind of like a Dikembe Mutombo in a lot of respects,” said Zach Johnson, referring to the famed NBA shot-blocker. “It was placed strategically. Unfortunate, that was kind of the character of the hole, and maybe it had a little bit of — I’m not nostalgic or anything like that — sentimentality, but there’s something to be said on that tree on 4.”

There are few people the John Deere means more to than Johnson, who grew up in nearby Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The 2012 champion has played the event every year since 2002 and has made 17 straight cuts.

Now 50, Johnson chose to continue his appearance streak in the Quad Cities instead of playing the U.S. Senior Open.

“I am an ambassador of this company and of this tournament regardless of if I play or don’t play,” he said. “So going forward, I’ll let things fall where they fall. I mean, I love to compete here, and I’ve cherished every second of that with family, with friends, and with the people in this community. At the same time, I’m also I think old enough to understand that it’s bigger than — certainly bigger than me, but it’s bigger than any one person, and I’m OK with that.”

Brian Campbell seized the opportunity TPC Deere Run gave him last year when he shot four rounds in the 60s and defeated Argentina’s Emiliano Grillo in a playoff. It was his second win of 2025 and of his career.

“Obviously, I would love to come back every single year if I could, but I think it does us better if we think about more what’s happening this week and even this year,” Campbell said of the future rules. “… There is a lot to think about with the new changes, but we’re just excited to be here for this tournament this week.”

One player who could become the next Spieth or DeChambeau is Jackson Koivun, the longtime No. 1 amateur in the world who’ll make his professional debut this week. He earned his card through the PGA Tour University pathway.

“Obviously, the ties here are huge, and I wanted to play U.S. Open as an amateur and that kind of took RBC (Canadian Open) out of the question,” Koivun said of planning his first start. “That kind of left me with the John Deere Classic. I’m really excited to call this my pro debut.”

–Field Level Media

The Boston Celtics reportedly agreed on a three-year, $47.4 million deal with center Mitchell Robinson, who was part of the champion New York Knicks this past season.

A defensive force, Robinson averaged 7.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.7 blocked shots in 397 games (215 starts) with the Nicks since entering the league in 2018. He has topped 100 blocks four times while totaling 690.

Last season, Robinson averaged 5.7 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocked shots in 60 games (16 starts). He rejected 70 shots while averaging 19.6 minutes per game.

In the postseason, Robinson averaged 4.8 points and 5.5 rebounds in 18 contests while playing 13.9 minutes per game. The 28-year-old played through a broken right pinkie as the Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs in five games in the NBA Finals.

The Celtics also reportedly reached a one-year deal with point guard Mike Conley, who will be entering his 20th NBA season.

Conley, 38, averaged career lows of 4.5 points and 2.9 assists in 54 games (15 starts) for the Minnesota Timberwolves last season.

Conley once was a top-tier player for the Memphis Grizzlies. He played 12 seasons with the Grizzlies before spending 3 1/2 seasons with the Utah Jazz and 3 1/2 seasons with the Timberwolves. He was selected to the All-Star Game in 2021 with the Jazz.

A four-time winner of the NBA’s Sportsmanship Award and two-time Teammate of the Year, Conley will become only the 14th player in NBA history to reach 20 seasons.

Conley has career averages of 13.6 points, 5.5 assists and 2.9 rebounds in 1,226 games (1,143 starts). His 6,782 assists rank fifth among active players and he stands 14 short of having 2,000 career 3-pointers.

–Field Level Media

Sean Keys hit a three-run blast for his first career major league home run Wednesday afternoon and the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the visiting New York Mets 9-3.

Myles Straw added a three-run homer in the rubber match of the three-game series played on Canada Day.

Carson Benge hit a two-run homer for the Mets and Francisco Lindor had a solo shot.

The Blue Jays finished a disappointing 3-7 homestand. The Mets were outhit 12-5 to start 1-2 on their seven-game road trip.

Toronto scored once in the first against Freddy Peralta (5-7). Nathan Lukes led off with an infield hit to shortstop, took third on Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s double to left and scored on Kazuma Okamoto’s infield single to shortstop. Toronto opener Braydon Fisher pitched around a walk in the first before Spencer Miles (4-1) took over in the second and allowed no runs, one hit and one walk with five strikeouts in three innings. Patrick Corbin allowed three runs in the final five innings to earn his first save,

Toronto took a 5-0 lead in the third. Okamoto walked and Alejandro Kirk singled with one out on a hard drive to shortstop that glanced off Lindor’s glove. Ernie Clement hit an RBI double to right over Carson Benge’s head. Keys hammered a 1-0 fastball to left for his second major league hit and first homer.

Peralta allowed five runs, seven hits and three walks with four strikeouts in four innings.

New York reliever Joey Gerber pitched 1 1/3 innings before he left the game with an apparent hand issue and was replaced by Cionel Perez.

Toronto added four runs in the seventh against Perez. Guerrero walked and took third when Okamoto singled to center and was out trying for a double. Daulton Varsho hit an RBI single, Kirk singled and pinch hitter Straw homered to left on an 0-1 slurve.

Corbin, who was moved from the starting rotation to the bullpen this week, pitched three perfect innings before allowing two runs in the eighth. Brett Baty singled and Benge homered to left center on a 3-1 fastball in the eighth. Lindor added a homer to left in the ninth.

Toronto put George Springer on the paternity list and recalled fellow outfielder Jonatan Clase from Triple-A Buffalo.

–Field Level Media