‘Crucial’ volunteers help John Deere Classic golf tournament

Mary Boster was already having a busy day by mid-morning Tuesday, July 1, before the start of the John Deere Classic golf tournament at TPC Deere Run in Silvis. While many JDC officials and players spent the day preparing for a busy week, Ms. Boster was part of the “Player Shuttle” team of volunteers. She […]

Mary Boster was already having a busy day by mid-morning Tuesday, July 1, before the start of the John Deere Classic golf tournament at TPC Deere Run in Silvis. While many JDC officials and players spent the day preparing for a busy week, Ms. Boster was part of the “Player Shuttle” team of volunteers. She was already busy driving a golf cart around the course, making sure players got to their next destinations. “It’s nice to see all the behind-the-scenes work here. It’s the biggest event in the Quad Cities, I think,” said Ms. Boster, who has volunteered at the JDC for the past seven years. The Moline woman added that she got involved as a volunteer when a friend convinced her it would be good to help the golf tournament and the community. “I like what I’m doing here. … and they always need volunteers,” Ms. Boster added.

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She is one of about 2,200 area residents – and some visitors – who are now volunteering their time, talents and work this week to help make the John Deere Classic a success. Those volunteers will be cleaning up trash, serving as crossing guards to help guests and golfers get safely across roads, delivering water, holding up “Quiet” signs on the TPC Deere Run course while golfers hit shots, driving guests and golfers to destinations, and much more. “They are the lifeblood of any PGA event. … It speaks volumes that we have volunteers who will give their time and talents to this event,” said Andrew Lehman, JDC tournament director, on Tuesday morning as he kept a busy schedule getting big and small jobs done before tournament play starts Thursday, July 3.  This year’s number of volunteers will be about the same as last year. But the numbers have been steadily rising. For instance, three years ago, the JDC had about 1,900 volunteers a year, said Peter Zucker, manager of tournament services at the JDC. “They are crucial for us. They help in so many ways. … They make this tournament go,” he added. Those volunteers have been a vital part of the tournament since it began as the Quad Cities Open in 1971. “They have been here since the beginning. … There’s no way we could have put this on without them,” Clair Peterson, who was JDC tournament director for 20 years before retiring at the end of 2022, told the QCBJ. Mr. Peterson, who was wearing an identification tag naming him as an “honorary observer,” was at TPC Deere Run on Tuesday, looking over the course and visiting with many friends before tournament play begins. Even though Tuesday was a relatively slow day on the course, many of those 2,200 volunteers were already working, and getting ready for a hectic week. One of those people is Terry Masek, who has been a JDC volunteer for 38 years and is a member of the John Deere Classic Hall of Fame. Mr. Masek has volunteered in several different jobs over the years. Since 1992, he has been part of the “Grunt Crew.” That crew takes on a wide variety of jobs from delivering water and soft drinks to golf fans to making sure the trash cans are emptied. “We try to keep people hydrated. … I love doing this. I love the people I work with,” the Moline man said. He added that he expects to work about 100 hours this week, often coming in during the early morning hours and working well into the night. Mr. Masek is retired, but years ago, he would take a vacation week from his job in order to come to the tournament and put in the same 100 or more hours to lend a helping hand. “We try to keep things running as smoothly as possible,” Mr. Masek said. Another volunteer keeping busy Tuesday was Brian Johnson of Alexis, Illinois. Along with Ms. Boster, he too is part of the Player Shuttle crew, giving golf cart rides to players. “It's good to get out of the office and help out. … I’m not much of a golfer, but I like doing this for the community,” said Mr. Johnson, who has volunteered at JDC for eight years. Some of the other volunteers on the job in Silvis on Tuesday are longtime veterans of the golf tournament. Two of those veterans are the husband-wife team of Bob and Linda Leaf of Moline. The couple – both wearing “Grunt Crew” T-shirts – have a combined 85 years of volunteer time at the John Deere Classic. Mr. Leaf has volunteered for 41 years because he likes the “people and cause” of the tournament. Linda Leaf has volunteered for 45 years. For her, the event has turned into a family affair over the years. “The volunteers are my family. My daughter was a volunteer, and now my granddaughter is volunteering here,” she said.