Report: 2020 John Deere Classic To Be Cancelled, PGA Tour Looking For Replacement Option

Billed as the first PGA Tour event to welcome back spectators, ESPN.com’s Bob Harig reports that the 2020 John Deere Classic is going to cancel its July 9-12 playing. The state of Illinois’ restrictions on gatherings of 50 or more and the tournament’s desire to go forward with fans to fund it’s generous charitable contributions, appear to be the reasoning for cancelling.

This at the end of Harig’s piece also got my attention:

The PGA Tour is trying to replace the John Deere for this year only and there is some consideration to having an event at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, which is at tour headquarters.

July in Ponte Vedra. That would mean the PGA Tour is hoping to go from Fort Worth, to Hilton Head, to Cromwell, Connecticut, to Detroit to Ponte Vedra(?) to Dublin, Ohio. Ambitious, to say the least.

**A PGA Tour statement:

2020 John Deere Classic canceled due to area restrictions, related concerns

Tournament set to return in 2021; PGA TOUR looks to fill July dates with another event

SILVIS, ILLINOIS and PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA – Citing ongoing local and state-related challenges related to gathering restrictions, the John Deere Classic, title sponsor John Deere and the PGA TOUR announced today that the 2020 tournament, scheduled for July 9-12, has been canceled. It is set to return to the PGA TOUR schedule in 2021 with its 50th playing. 

As a result of this decision, the PGA TOUR announced that it will fill the week vacated by the John Deere Classic with a new tournament. The TOUR will provide details in the near future on the venue and location.

“Because of the ongoing health and safety concerns related to the coronavirus pandemic, the difficult decision was made to cancel the 2020 John Deere Classic,” said tournament director Clair Peterson. “While we considered several alternatives for the Classic, this was the choice that made the most sense for our guests, the players and the Quad City community at large.”

“We understand and respect that the Quad Cities market has dynamics and challenges that prevent the playing of the John Deere Classic in 2020,” said Andy Pazder, PGA TOUR Chief Tournaments and Competitions Officer. “As we’ve seen through the years, the community support for the John Deere Classic is unwavering and I have no doubt the event will return stronger than ever in its 50th playing in 2021.”

Despite the cancellation, the John Deere Classic will continue its Birdies for Charity fundraiser for 2020. Last year, $13.8 million was generated in support of 543 local and regional charity organizations, bringing the tournament’s all-time total to $120 million since the first playing in 1971. Ninety-nine percent of that has come since John Deere assumed title sponsorship in 1998. 

This year’s John Deere Classic would have been the Quad Cities’ 50th PGA TOUR event and the 21st played at TPC Deere Run. Dylan Frittelli is the defending champion.