John Deere and the PGA TOUR chose the JDC Champions Day on Monday, June 2, to celebrate their winning relationship by announcing that Deere & Co. has renewed its title sponsorship of the professional Quad Cities golf tournament through 2030.
With less than a month until the 2025 John Deere Classic swings off, the JDC staff hosted their annual media day Monday back at the home course, TPC at Deere Run in Silvis. In addition to the chance to virtually interview 2024 defending JDC champion Davis Thompson, area media also learned of Deere & Co.’s decision for another four-year extension of its title sponsorship of the JDC.
The PGA tournament, scheduled for July 2-6, at TPC Deere Run, will be broadcast on CBS/Paramount+, GOLF Channel, PGA TOUR LIVE on ESPN+, Sirius XM and distributed internationally via the TOUR’s World Feed. This year’s classic will offer an $8.4 million purse.
The Quad Cities only PGA event will again feature the growing Concerts on the Course on Saturday and Sunday nights, July 5-6. Now in its third year, the concerts will feature Dierks Bentley and Zac Brown Band.
“I’m continually impressed by the passionate fan support the Quad Cities community shows for the John Deere Classic year after year – a true reflection of the pride and commitment Deere & Company bring to both its hometown and title event,” PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan said in a news release issued after the announcement. He added that the TOUR “is proud to extend this valued partnership into the next decade.”
The news conference included a JDC first – an interview via Zoom with the reigning champ, Mr. Thompson, who went into the record books last year as he set a tournament scoring record of 28-under par, breaking Michael Kim’s record of 27-under in 2018.
To kick off the 2025 JDC season, the Champions Day event also was livestreamed by WQAD-TV, Moline. For the first time in several years, the media day also included a chance for media, sponsors, JDC board members and supporters to play a round at TPC Deere Run.
During a question-and-answer segment led by the JDC’s longtime media relations director Barry Cronin, Quad Cities sports reporters and others quizzed Mr. Thompson on his return to the QC, the impact his first-ever PGA win in Silvis has had, his current game and the Geneseo, Illinois, airbnb that several pros have rented each year. That house that has produced multiple champions including Mr. Thompson and his immediate predecessor, Sepp Straka, the 2023 JDC Champion.
But the four-year contract extension agreement between the PGA, John Deere and the Quad Cities Golf Classic Charitable Foundation stole the show and was a sign of John Deere’s commitment to its hometown tournament and the region.
Mara Downing, John Deere’s vice president of global brand and communications, announced the equipment maker’s recent agreement with the PGA TOUR. As a result, Deere commits to being the JDC title sponsor through 2030.
“This exciting milestone is a testament to the strength of our 27-year partnership with the PGA TOUR,” said Ms. Downing, who also serves as the title sponsor representative. “We’re eager to continue building on our incredible success of the work we’ve done together.”
She told the small crowd of reporters and other supporters on hand at TPC at Deere Run that John Deere and the TOUR “have fostered a remarkable relationship focused on shared values, community impact and a commitment to excellence in a sport we all love.”
From a business perspective, Ms. Downing said the agreement also continues John Deere’s Official Marketing Partner program with the TOUR and allows it to retain several designations. They include: Official Golf Course Equipment Supplier of the PGA TOUR, Official Golf Course Equipment Supplier of the TPC Network as well as the TOUR’s Official Utility Vehicle, Official Mower, Official Tractor and Official Golf Course Equipment Leasing Company.
According to Ms. Downing, John Deere is one of the PGA TOUR’s longest-running title sponsors – second only behind AT&T. The company, headquartered in Moline and just miles from the JDC tournament course, has been the local PGA event’s title sponsor since 1998.
After the live announcement, John C. May, Deere’s chairman and CEO, said “The John Deere Classic continues to be a powerful expression of who we are as a company – deeply connected to our customers, committed to our hometown communities, and proud of our people.
Mr. May continued: “Year after year, hundreds of John Deere employees and retirees generously volunteer their time to help create a top-tier experience for players and fans.”
The JDC, which includes Birdies for Charity, raised a record $15.97 million for area charities in 2024.
JDC Tournament Director Andrew Lehman pointed out that since the event’s inception in 1971, the tournament has raised more than $189.6 million for charity – 99% of which has been raised since John Deere became the title sponsor.
Aaron Tennant, a Quad Cities business owner and entrepreneur, also thanked John Deere, the JDC staff and all the efforts behind bringing the JDC to life every summer. Mr. Tennant, the 2025 JDC volunteer board chair, said “It really takes an army to put this on.”
