Defending champion Davis Thompson goes for back-to-back at John Deere

• The John Deere Classic is the sole professional golf tournament this week, featuring players like Jason Day, Rickie Fowler, and defending champion Davis Thompson.
• The PGA Tour schedule intensifies in the following weeks with the Genesis Scottish Open, The Open Championship, the Barracuda Championship, and the ISCO Championship.
• These tournaments are crucial for players aiming to secure a spot in the FedEx Cup Playoffs by finishing in the top 70.

Fourth of July week is the calm before the storm in the professional golf world. 

The LPGA, PGA Tour Champions, Korn Ferry Tour and LIV Golf are all dark this week, leaving the PGA Tour’s John Deere Classic July 3-6 at the TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Ill., as the only event. 

And the traditional breather for Tour players still has a decent field: Jason Day, Rickie Fowler, Lucas Glover, Max Homa, Sungjae Im, Si Woo Kim, Tom Kim, Kevin Kisner and Matt Kuchar, along with area players Ben Griffin, Zach Johnson, Bud Cauley, Philip Knowles and defending champion Davis Thompson of St. Simons Island, Ga. 

But the schedule gets crowded in the next two weeks, especially for the PGA Tour, which will have four FedEx Cup points tournaments during that span. The main events will be the Genesis Scottish Open July 10-13 and the Open Championship July 17-20 at Royal Portrush, the final major of the season. 

Players who did not make the field in those tournaments have a chance to pick up points at the ISCO Championship July 10-13 in Louisville, and the Barracuda Championship July 17-20 in Truckee, Calif., (in the Lake Tahoe area). 

Every point counts because after the five FedEx Cup tournaments over the next three weeks, there are only two more tournaments left to reach the top-70 in points and qualify for the first stage of the FedEx Cup Playoffs, the 3M Championship and the Wyndham Championship. 

Also on deck next week will be the LPGA’s Amundi Evain Championship, the first of three tournaments in Europe that will be capped by the Women’s Open July 31-Aug. 3 at Royal Porthcawl. 

Who are the area players in the John Deere Classic field? 

First Coast: Ricky Castillo, Bud Cauley, Vince Covello, Nico Echavarria, Lanto Griffin, Philip Knowles, Ben Kohles, Sam Ryder, Alejandro Tosti, Karl Vilips. 

Golden Isles: Will Gordon, Ben Griffin, Zach Johnson, Patton Kizzire, Keith Mitchell, Paul Peterson, J.T. Poston, Greyson Sigg, Davis Thompson. 

Purse: $8.4 million ($1,512,000 and 500 FedEx Cup points to the winner). 

Defending champion: Davis Thompson. 

TV: Golf Channel (July 3-4, 4-7 p.m.; July 5-6, 1-3 p.m.); CBS (July 5-6, 3-6 p.m.).