SILVIS — A walk around the TPC Deere Run property this past week proved one thing — the 2021 John Deere Classic was much different than what most had become accustomed to.
It was also totally different than the 50th anniversary celebration that was planned for 2020 that ended up being shelved by the COVID-19 pandemic.
On property, there were no fancy hospitality builds around holes 17 and 18 for the long-awaited 50th PGA Tour event in the Quad-Cities.
The bleachers on hole No. 1 that served as a welcome to the property and a backdrop to the opening hole were gone.
The way fans bought tickets and watched the tournament were different.
Buying concessions was a different process this year.
Even the weather was different as cool temps in the 70s and rain replaced the usual blistering heat and high humidity that envelops the course each July for the annual event.
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Lee Garlach, tournament volunteer chairman, praised the tournament staff, volunteers and community for making this tournament work around the hurdles.
“There were non-stop changes, but you were flexible and resilient to make it the best tournament it could be,” he said.
According to tournament director Clair Peterson, everything still worked.
“It was impressive and moving seeing how many people came out in weather that was questionable,” Peterson said. “Having them out here was great. They created so much energy.”
The support even drew the attention of champion Lucas Glover, who recalled getting his start here early in his rookie year of 2002.
“I learned then that the people of the Quad-Cities really, really supported their golf tournament,” said Glover in his comments to an appreciative crowd under cover of a hospitality tent near the 18th green at TPC Deere Run.
He gave huge props to the fans of the area after collecting a check for $1,116,000 from Deere chairman and CEO John May and expounded on his affinity for the area later.
“Virtually everywhere else we go there's always something else going on or something else at the same time, whether it be another sport or a concert or something,” he said, also praising Peterson and those at Deere & Co. “But this week in this area, man, this is the Classic. That's what they call it, and you're going. You look at what we had out there today. It was rotten today, and we still had people crawling over this place supporting us, and it was great.”
As he said to the fans during the trophy presentation, “You really knocked it out of the park again.”
Peterson felt that way about the entire tournament and especially the course that superintendent Alex Stuedemann turned into a sieve handling three days of rain.
It was obvious crowds were down. That will surely have an impact on the tournament's bottom line.
But as Peterson said, the tournament was held and that's a victory in its own right.
“Not only in the books gratifying, but to have a champion that fits into our 50 year history so wonderfully,” said Peterson, who shepherded his 19th tournament in a 20-year run. “A guy that we helped start his professional career in 2002 and that we've had here for so many times and been such a supporter and such a good friend.”
There is symbolism between Glover and the tournament, with each enduring tumultuous stretches, but coming out winners.
“To have him win our 50th seems poetic,” Peterson said.
While the changes that shaped the event made for a different tournament, Peterson says some of those may carry forward.
“We learned so much about how we do business, what kinds of things we were doing just because we always did it that way, what kind of things we changed this year that we we're kind of happy with and feel as if improves our efficiencies moving forward,” Peterson said. “It was a learning experience that is going to have a positive affect as we move froward.”
And move forward the tournament does, looking forward to a little more normalcy back on property for the 2022 event next July.
