For Zach Johnson, the John Deere Classic in Silvis, Illinois always takes priority — and this week is no different as he makes his 24th start at the storied event.
Johnson, who turned 50 in February and now competes on the Champions Tour, said the choice between playing in the John Deere Classic and the Senior Open this week was never really a difficult one to make.
“It’s pretty simple. If JDC wants me back, I’m going to come back,” Johnson said. “I know I got in on my number. I get that. At the same time, I still feel like I can — I’m not going to enter a tournament just to, you know, show up. I mean, I feel like I can do well this week. That’s kind of what my team has said.”
He added Tuesday, “I know I’m missing the Senior Open, but there will be more of those. God willing, there will be more of those.”
Johnson did briefly explore the possibility of using a golf cart during the PGA Tour event, but tournament officials told him to expect to walk the redesigned TPC Deere Run course on foot.
Johnson, who captured the John Deere Classic title back in 2012, acknowledged that his continued participation in the tournament isn’t guaranteed. He noted that the PGA Tour’s new two-tier schedule could move the event to the Challenger Series, which would require him to seek a sponsor’s exemption — something he has done twice before in his career. If that route is available, he said he would pursue it.
Regardless of whether he’s in the field or not, Johnson made clear he sees himself as a long-term fixture around the tournament.
“I am an ambassador of this company and of this tournament regardless of if I play or don’t play,” Johnson said. “So going forward, I’ll let things fall where they fall. I mean, I love to compete here, and I’ve cherished every second of that with family, with friends and with the people in this community. At the same time, I’m also, I think, old enough to understand that it’s bigger than — certainly bigger than me, but it’s bigger than any one person, and I’m OK with that.”
