Notable PGA Tour Star Withdraws From John Deere Classic After First Round originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The first round of the John Deere Classic in Silvis, Illinois unfolded on Thursday, with Doug Ghim holding the solo lead after an impressive 9-under-par performance. Max Homa and Austin Eckroat sit just behind him, tied for second at 8-under.
Last year’s champion, Davis Thompson, dominated the tournament with a 28-under-par showing, ultimately winning by four strokes.
While there’s still plenty of golf left to play over the next three days, one notable name won’t be continuing. PGA Tour veteran and longtime top-ranked German golfer Stephan Jaeger has officially withdrawn from the tournament after just one round, the PGA Tour announced Thursday on social media.
Stephan Jaeger WD after his first round of the John Deere Classic
— PGA TOUR Communications (@PGATOURComms) July 3, 2025
Fans reacted to Jaeger’s sudden decision to withdraw following a sluggish opening-round performance, where he shot 3-over par — leaving him with only an outside chance of making the cut. The withdrawal came as a surprise, considering Jaeger has made the cut an impressive 109 times in 170 career PGA Tour events.
“Every golfer who has a bad round does this now lol,” a fan said.
“If anyone watched featured groups this morning, he looked completely off…playing so fast, not taking his time on a couple shots. Hope all is okay!” Another fan posted.
Someone else added, “What happened to the Jaeger Meister’s game shall be studied in university for eons. Dude was a guarantee weekend for the longest.”
One more fan commented, “He’s in bad form. Can’t really blame him. Now he can go have a July 4th weekend.”
Stephan Jaeger is currently ranked No. 56 in the world and has built a solid career since bursting onto the scene in 2018 — despite experiencing some struggles in 2025. His lone PGA Tour victory came in 2024 at the Texas Children’s Houston Open, where he beat out Scottie Scheffler.
In addition to that win, Jaeger has recorded one runner-up finish, three third-place finishes, and six total top-five finishes. He has also placed inside the top 10 on 11 occasions.
Related: Internet Cheers as Scottie Scheffler Shares His Biggest Win with Wife Meredith and Family
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 4, 2025, where it first appeared.
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