Ordinary field but keen contest at John Deere

BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2005 John Deere Classic | Preview | 05 Jul 2005

The John Deere Classic takes pride of place on the PGA Tour this week but given its scheduling the week before the year’s third major championship on the other side of the Atlantic, it has not been blessed with an overly star-studded field. Some would argue that any field of PGA Tour players is star-studded but with only David Toms and Stewart Cink here from the top twenty in the world it has struggled in that regard.

Played at the D.A. Weibring designed 7183 yard, par 71 TPC at Deere Run layout in Silvis, Illinois, some two hours west of Chicago, the event was for many years known as the Quad Cities Open. In 1999, it became the John Deere Classic and moved a year later to its current venue. Weibring got the job to design the course obviously because of his role in golf course design but also because he was a three time winner of the event and he was also an Illinois native.

The course has generous fairways but with long rough when you find it. The emphasis is typically on approach shots rather than driving. With rain falling on Monday the course will have been softened up which indicates that last year’s 16 under score may well be under threat and perhaps the winning score might challenge Michael Clarke’s 19 under in 2000.

The defending champion is Australlia’s Mark Hensby, who perhaps surprised a lot with his win last year but a repeat performance would certainly not be such a surprise this year. His recent and brilliant third place at the US Open was followed by a reasonable week last week in Chicago when 16th at the Western Open. Hensby defeated John E. Morgan, another surprise in last year’s event, to take his first USPGA Tour title.

Hensby gained a start at the British Open last year as a result of his win but chose not to head to go to Royal Troon the following week as he felt he was not properly prepared. On reflection, and given his subsequent form, it was an inspired decision by a man who knew his game best.

The favourite this week will likely be Toms, previous winner of this event when it was held at the tournament’s long time venue the Oakwood Country Club. Toms’ recent form has been very good. He was 15th at the US Open but in his last four starts he has been there or there abouts and looks a good prospect here before heading to St Andrews where he played so well in 2000. He did though miss the cut at his only time on this course in 2000 the week after.

Stewart Cink was 8th last year in his only try at this course and although he has not been in great form of late he has played reasonably well.

Billy Mayfair is finding some good form right now and his fourth placing at last week’s Western confirms just that. He withdrew here last year but was 17th in 2003. He has made his last ten cuts in a row this season and appears to me to be close to winning for the first time in eight years.

Michelle Wie llines up here thanks to a sponsor’s invite but after her last round effort at the US Women’s Open she will obviously add colour and interest to the event for a couple of days but can’t be expected to do much more.

Others who may be considered for a more serious challenge are Kirk Triplett, Nick Price, J.L. Lewis and Jonathan Byrd.

The Australasians aside from Hensby are Steve Allan, Aaron Baddeley, Gavin Coles, Paul Gow, Scott Hend, Bradley Hughes, Brendan Jones, Stephen Leaney, Michael Long, John Senden and Euan Walters.

The tournament is worth $US4 million, up US$200,000 from 2004.