SILVIS, Ill. — When Zach Johnson steps on the grounds at TPC Deere Run, he becomes a timeless wonder.
The 50-year-old PGA Tour Champions rookie skipped this week’s U.S. Senior Open at Scioto to compete in the John Deere Classic for a 24th straight year. The event has always been a home game for Johnson, who grew up some 90 miles from the Quad Cities in Cedar Rapids, Iowa — and he was feeling right at home Thursday.
Zach Johnson putts the ball on the 9th green during the first round of the John Deere Classic golf tournament.
Johnson made six birdies and an eagle en route to a 7-under 64 in the opening round, finishing the day in a tie for third, just one shot off the lead. And he did it on a brutally hot day, with a heat index north of 100 degrees.
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“Starting the week and looking at the forecast, the discussion with my wife and some of my team — I mean, I’m not suggesting others don’t struggle in heat. I struggle immensely in heat . . . just to have the energy to compete for 18 holes was a feat for me, and I’m grateful for them, thankful for that, but I’ve learned a lot,” Johnson said.
He didn’t just compete, he methodically picked apart the golf course. Johnson kickstarted his round with a birdie at the first and made two more on the front nine at Nos. 5 and 8 before making his lone bogey of the round at the ninth.
He bounced right back with a birdie at No. 10, made another at the 14th, then drained a long putt from off the green for eagle at the par-5 17th, producing a loud roar from the gallery that could be heard across the whole property. That was just the first roar, though, as the crowd erupted again about 15 minutes later when Johnson closed out his round with a birdie on No. 18.
“Obviously it’s all the cliches: It’s one day, one round, there’s a lot more golf. However, given the wind conditions, it was trying,” Johnson said. “You know, there’s a lot of John Deere weeks we don’t get a whole lot of wind and it’s pretty stagnant, and it was humming 10 to 15 at times. With all that to say and the condition of this golf course, it’s very gratifying.”
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Johnson’s round is all-the-more impressive when considering the difference in scores between the morning wave and the afternoon wave, which dealt with a gusting wind and increasingly hot temperatures. He will tee off much earlier for Friday’s second round, hoping to take advantage of fresh greens and a more benign breeze to post another low score. He’s not thinking about it that way, but it’s no secret that four low scores are usually needed to contend at the John Deere Classic, where birdies are plentiful and rounds in the 60s are necessary.
“I was just trying to hit solid shots and let the score card reveal itself,” Johnson said. “There have been times where you are like ‘Man, I got to go low, and I got to go low quick.’ I don’t know, if the wind subsides a little bit here, I may reconsider that, but the afternoon, I’m assuming it was a little windy in the morning, maybe a little easier because the scores are showing that . . . It seems like the morning wave shot some low numbers, so I don’t know. Hopefully we have those kind of conditions tomorrow morning.”
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Regardless of what happens the rest of the week, it’s all gravy for Johnson. He’s simply happy to be playing at the John Deere Classic — where he’s now 247 under par in his career — and he knows that the people at TPC Deere Run will adore him no matter the number next to his name on the leaderboard. It is worth noting, though, that the last time Johnson played in front of a home crowd was just 18 days ago at the Principal Charity Classic in Des Moines. The result? His second career PGA Tour Champions victory.
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“The outcome of my week from, a golf standpoint, professionally speaking, just is irrelevant almost,” Johnson said. “I don’t know if it’s everything’s icing on the cake, but you could maybe say it’s kind of that way, as well. I just love being here, you know, and I’m comfortable obviously, so my scorecard — I know that’s an ingredient this week, but it’s not everything. I can’t stress it enough . . . A lot of affinity, a lot of affection, and you know what, it really starts and ends with the people. So I’m very honored and grateful.”
Nick Stavas is a digital producer and commerce writer for Golfweek. Follow him on X/Twitter (@nickstavas).
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Zach Johnson opens annual homecoming at John Deere Classic with 7-under 64
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