PGA Tour winners Max Homa, Jason Day and Sungjae Im have committed to play in next month’s John Deere Classic, July 2-6, at TPC Deere Run, the JDC announced in a Wednesday, June 4 news release.
“We are very excited to have Max, Jason and Sungjae in our field this year,” JDC Tournament Director Andrew Lehman said in the release. “All three of them are PGA Tour winners who have played on national teams like the Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup and each has a unique fan appeal.”
He added “We are confident our fans will be energized by the opportunity to see these standout players, each of whom brings something special to the field.”
Ryder Cup ‘bright light’
Mr. Homa, 34, was ranked in the top 10 in the world last year. He finished 12th at this year’s Masters. The Southern California native has six career victories and one runner-up on the PGA Tour and has amassed $29 million in official earnings.
He was the bright light of the 2023 U.S. Ryder Cup team and is a two-time Presidents Cup team member (2022, 2024), the JDC said. Mr. Homa has been a hit on social media in recent years because of his humor, cleverness and relatability, particularly on X (formerly known as Twitter). While he has largely withdrawn from X this season, he continues is active on TikToK.
JDC launched Day’s career
Mr. Day is a native Australian. He played his first tournament on U.S. soil at age 19. That’s when he received a sponsor exemption into the 2006 JDC. He made the cut at TPC Deere Run. It launched a formidable career in which he has won 13 times on the PGA Tour. It includes the 2015 PGA Championship and the 2016 Players Championship, and ascended to No. 1 in the world.
Back injuries have plagued him in recent years. But recovery time and swing changes to decrease pressure on his back have helped pave his way back to the upper echelon of professional golf.
This year, the 36-year-old five-time Presidents Cup team member has three top 10 finishes. He has qualified for the British Open by virtue of being ranked among the top 50 (37th) in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR). He stands 42nd in the FedExCup points. Mr. Day has lived for many years with his wife and children in her native Ohio.
Im a PGA ‘ironman’
Sungjae Im, 27, is known as the PGA Tour’s “ironman” because he has played between 26 and 35 events per season over the last several years.
The South Korea has played 16 events already this season. He finished in the top 25 a total of seven times. That helps account for his No. 18 status in the FedExCup Cup rankings and 22nd on OWGR. He has played on three Presidents Cup teams (2019, 2022, 2024). He also is exempt for the Scottish and British Opens. Mr. Im recently finished T-16 at the Memorial.
HE has gained the respect and affection of golf fans for his tireless work ethic, grinder mentality and quiet, friendly disposition.
Other noted additions
Other JDC commitment list notables include Daniel Berger, University of Illinois alumnus Brian Campbell, Joel Dahman, Charley Hoffman, Kevin Kisner, Denny McCarthy, Andrew Novak, Davis Riley, former Masters champion Danny Willett and Presidents Cup captain Brandt Snedeker.
Past PGA champions currently committed to play the JDC are defending champion Davis Thompson, Zach Johnson, J.T. Poston, Lucas Glover, Michael Kim and Dylan Frittelli. Former top amateur Gordon Sargeant, who played the John Deere on a sponsor exemption in 2023, recently turned pro. He is in the field as are two Chicago area natives Doug Ghim and Nick Hardy, also an Illini alumnus, as well as Northwestern alumnus David Lipsky.
At the end of the season, the top 70 points getters qualify for the FedExCup Playoffs. And the top 50 automatically qualify for next year’s PGA Tour.
The 54th edition of the Quad Cities-based PGA Tour event will be July 2-6 at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Davis Thompson is defending champion. The tournament will offer an $8.4 million purse.
The John Deere Classic, which includes Birdies for Charity, is a 501(C)3 non-profit organization. It is located in the JDC tournament offices, 15623 Coaltown Road, East Moline, Illinois.
Since its founding in 1971, the JDC has helped raise more than $189.6 million for charity.
