Latest news with #LukeClanton
USA Today
06-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Golfweek's Q&A with John Deere Classic tournament director Andrew Lehman
SILVIS, Ill. — The John Deere Classic has been a staple of the PGA Tour for decades, and as the festivities roll on with the final round Sunday, Golfweek sat down with JDC tournament director Andrew Lehman at TPC Deere Run for a conversation about this week's event and its future. A: It's been an awesome week here in the Quad Cities. To have the field we have this year, which is our strongest in the Official World Golf Ranking, it's driven a ton of excitement in this community, which I think is awesome. The fact that we've got a leaderboard that excites people and obviously there's concerts happening on Saturday and Sunday, we knew it was going to be a busy weekend. Trying to navigate the tricky part of being over the Fourth of July, especially from a corporate hospitality standpoint, we're doing the best we can in trying to fill this place. The cool thing that we've seen by adding concerts on Saturday and Sunday, now that we have ticket data that we can track, folks that were introduced to golf in 2023 and 2024 are now buying tickets on the other days to come and follow golf outside of the concerts. From a crowd standpoint, from a charity standpoint, from an economic impact standpoint, it's been an unbelievable week. A: I think for John Deere, it shows their continued commitment not only to the PGA Tour, but this community, because we understand that if John Deere were to go away, most likely, this event doesn't exist. The John Deere Classic still remains a staple of what the PGA Tour used to be with small markets. A lot of people ask the question, how do you compete out there when you're going up against signature events? What I think has happened — and we've seen the results of this — these changes that the Tour has made, going from 100 down to 70 for the FedEx Cup Playoffs has worked in our favor. The changes that are coming in 2026, going from 125 card-carrying members to 100, all those things are working in our favor as we talk to players. Ultimately, being late in the schedule — two weeks after the last signature event, two weeks before the Open Championship, and just a handful of weeks before the playoffs — it's been a really big recruiting tool for us when we talk to players and their agents. A: Oh yeah. And how many of those guys have gone on to have complete stardom who got their first win here at the John Deere Classic? It's awesome. The first guy who comes to mind is Jordan Spieth, right? 2013, 19-year-old kid. Comes back here and wins again in 2015 when the entire golf world told him he shouldn't be at the John Deere Classic. You know, I think in our conversations with players and agents, they recognize that it's a launching pad. And there's a decades-long thought process behind the sponsor exemptions to identify the next wave of talent. Luke Clanton would be a great example. He finished tied for second here last year [as an amateur]. Michael Thorbjornsen was a sponsor exemption and tied for second with Luke Clanton last year. So, we're trying to do our part to get young guys their start here. We understand that this golf community loves our sponsor exemptions and we encourage them to get to know them because they're here and they're going to be stars and we recognize that. There's a great mix in this field of young guys, guys who have been on Ryder Cup teams, guys who have won majors. And that's the other thing, right? These guys are making their final push for the Ryder Cup, so we're just trying to do our part and give players a great experience when they're here. Ultimately, we know they'll fall in love with the golf course and the community, and it's our job to get them back here. A: We've been doing it since 2008. For the first 10-plus years, we were taking guys to Open Championship, and now to be able to take guys over to Scotland who can get over there hassle-free — no risk of lost luggage or lost clubs — that's a big recruiting benefit for us. This is the first year where we will be at 100 percent capacity on that plane. To have 35-plus players on that plane, along with their entourages, and get them over there, it's pretty awesome. A: We celebrated Folds of Honor Friday, which was really cool because it was actually on the Fourth of July this year. The Quad Cities has a very rich military presence in this community with the Arsenal Island, so thanks to Lowe's and John Deere, we've got a military pavilion all week. We have over $75,000 worth of tickets in the marketplace for military members to come out here with a guest. Doing some different partnerships with some of the other nonprofits in town, there's a Firecracker Run on the Fourth of July and anybody who registered for that race, they got a free ticket to come out here on Thursday or Friday because we knew the weekend would be so busy. Obviously, having the field we have gets people excited to come out on Thursday and Friday to see the full field. A: We're coming off a record year last year of $15.9 million raised, which is hands down the highest per capita on the PGA Tour. We're operating in one of the smallest markets on the Tour, so to have that kind of support, those are boxes that are being checked with community impact. The title sponsor loves that charity is so high because John Deere is so philanthropic and civic-minded. We will cross $200 million in charitable giving this year, which I think is incredible. This is the 54th year of the John Deere Classic and 99 percent of the $189 million that was raised through 2024 has been raised since John Deere signed on as title sponsor in 1998, so that level of support from them to jump start that program is awesome. We own and operate the Birdies for Charity program. We license it out to a handful of other tournaments across the PGA Tour and the various other tours. But from John Deere's perspective, with their community vision, the fact that we're able to give back 100 percent of every dollar to these charities, plus a guaranteed 5-10 percent match on top of that, in a lot of cases the John Deere Classic is the largest donor for these nonprofits. A: Well, it's turned this event into a true community event. Whether you're a golf fan, a music fan, potentially a fan of both, we feel like we've got something for everybody. As far as PGA Tour events go, I think we're the only one brave enough, or maybe silly enough, to go out and try to do it on the 18th hole at the end of our hospitality run, but what that's done from a visual standpoint on TV, with this hillside pack on Nos. 16, 17 and 18, it looks awesome on TV. John Deere is over the moon because the reaction to the concerts has been so positive. Prior to 2023 [before adding concerts], our radius was always about 2½ hours — Des Moines to Chicago and maybe up to Madison and Milwaukee. What we show now in the ticket data is that radius is closer to 4½ hours now. We're starting to see St. Louis creep into our top 10 ticket-purchasing markets, and [the concerts] have just drawn a ton of excitement. For us, I think we've introduced a bunch of new people to golf who just came for the concerts maybe in year one or year two, and we've turned them into golf fans, so I think that's pretty cool. A: Obviously we want to give a great experience to the players and their families when they're here. Being a summer event, a lot of these guys travel with their entire family. The Big Dig remains a highlight of the PGA Tour schedule in terms of player parties. From a golf tournament perspective, we're always trying to be innovative and come up with new and fresh ideas and try to bring something new to life every year. We want people, from the moment they park their car in the parking lot to the moment they leave and get back to their car, we want it to be a seamless experience and we want them to have a great time. By doing those things and trying to have areas where you're going to have great vantage points and it's not always from a hospitality perspective. Sometimes, if you can get a venue sponsor that's open to the public and you can give a spectator an enhanced experience, we want to make sure we're doing that.
NBC Sports
02-07-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
John Deere a great opportunity for young players
Jackson Koivun and Luke Clanton discuss their mindsets heading into the John Deere Classic, which will present a great opportunity to many young players in the field.
NBC Sports
30-06-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
John Deere Classic 2025: How to watch, streams, field and prize money
The PGA Tour heads to Silvis, Illinois, and TPC Deere Run for the John Deere Classic. Here's some need-to-know information: How to watch the John Deere Classic (All times EDT) Thursday, July 3 4-7PM: Golf Channel/NBC Sports App Friday, July 4 Saturday, July 5 1-3PM: Golf Channel/NBC Sports App 3-6PM: CBS Sunday, July 6 This week's TV times: DP World Tour's BMW International Open Who is in the field at the John Deere Classic? There are 156 players in the field, including a bevy of potential stars in Luke Clanton, NCAA champ Michael La Sasso, Jackson Koivun, Haskins winner David Ford, Gordon Sargent, Preston Summerhays and Brendan Valdes. Click here for the updated field per the PGA Tour. What is the John Deere Classic purse and prize money? The purse is $8.4 million with $1,512,000 and 500 FedExCup points going to the winner. What is the cut at the John Deere Classic? The low 65 players and ties after the first 36 holes will qualify to compete in the final two rounds. Who won the 2024 John Deere Classic? Davis Thompson set a 72-hole tournament scoring record, closing in 64 for a 28-under total at TPC Deere Run. The former Georgia Bulldog, who led by two shots entering the final round, rolled in a 45-foot birdie on his first hole and never looked back, claiming his first PGA Tour title.
Associated Press
17-06-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
PGA Tour has its last signature event. Majors for the LPGA and PGA Tour Champions
TRAVELERS CHAMPIONSHIP Site: Cromwell, Connecticut. Course: TPC River Highlands. Yardage: 6,844. Par: 70. Prize money: $20 million. Winner's share: $3.6 million. Television: Thursday-Friday, 3-6 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday, 1-3 p.m. (Golf Channel), 3-6:30 p.m. (CBS); Sunday, 1-3 p.m. (Golf Channel), 3-6 p.m. (CBS). Defending champion: Scottie Scheffler. FedEx Cup leader: Scottie Scheffler. Last week: J.J. Spaun won the U.S. Open. Notes: This is the final $20 million signature tournament of the PGA Tour season. Still to come are $20 million fields at two FedEx Cup postseason events. ... Jordan Spieth is playing a signature event for the first time this year without needing a sponsor exemption. He is No. 37 in the FedEx Cup, high enough to fill the field. ... Scottie Scheffler has won five signature events since they began in 2024. He is the defending champion. ... Luke Clanton picks up his first professional paycheck this week. The Florida State star missed the cut in his pro debut at the Canadian Open. The Travelers Championship does not have a cut. Clanton is playing on a sponsor exemption. ... The other sponsor exemptions went to Tom Kim, Gary Woodland and Rickie Fowler. ... Five players from the top 20 in the FedEx Cup standings after this week get into the British Open if not already eligible. Next week: Rocket Mortgage Classic. Online: ___ LPGA Tour and PGA of America KPMG WOMEN'S PGA CHAMPIONSHIP Site: Frisco, Texas. Course: Fields Ranch (East) at PGA Frisco. Yardage: 6,604. Par: 72. Prize money: $12 million. Winner's share: $1.8 million. Television: Thursday-Friday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Golf Channel), 6-8 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Peacock), 3-6:30 p.m. (NBC); Sunday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Peacock), 3-6 p.m. (NBC). Defending champion: Amy Yang. Race to CME Globe leader: Jeeno Thitikul. Last week: Carlota Ciganda won the Meijer LPGA Classic. Notes: The third of five majors in the LPGA season features the top 100 in the CME Race to the Globe. ... KPMG announced a purse increase to $12 million, tied with the U.S. Women's Open for largest in women's golf. The USGA pays out $2.4 million to the winner. The Women's PGA winner gets $1.8 million. ... Mao Saigo of Japan (Chevron Championship) and Maja Stark of Sweden (U.S. Women's Open) have won the first two majors. ... Amy Yang last year won her first major in the Women's PGA in her 75th start in a major. ... Field Ranch East is at the new PGA of America headquarters. It hosted the Senior PGA Championship in 2023 and will host the PGA Championship next year. ... Mimi Rhodes, with three wins on the Ladies European Tour, was given a sponsor exemption. Stacy Lewis, who has a corporate relationship with KPMG, got the other. ... Nelly Korda is still trying to win for the first time this year. Next week: Dow Championship. Online: and ___ PGA Tour Champions KAULING COMPANIES CHAMPIONSHIP Site: Akron, Ohio. Course: Firestone CC (South). Yardage: 7,248. Par: 70. Prize money: $3.5 million. Winner's share: $525,000. Television: Thursday-Friday, 3-5 p.m. (NBC Sports app); Saturday-Sunday, 3-6 p.m. (Golf Channel). Defending champion: Ernie Els. Charles Schwab Cup leader: Miguel Angel Jimenez. Last tournament: Thomas Bjorn and Darren Clarke won the American Family Insurance Championship. Notes: The PGA Tour Champions has major championships in consecutive weeks. The U.S. Senior Open is next week in Colorado. ... Firestone South held the PGA Championship three times. It is best known for holding the World Series of Golf, which later became a World Golf Championship that Tiger Woods won eight times. ... This is the halfway point of the PGA Tour Champions. Miguel Angel Jimenez leads the way with three wins. ... Ernie Els, the defending champion, is among six World Golf Hall of Fame members in the field. ... Angel Cabrera has won the first two majors of the year. ... The winner of the Kaulig Companies Championships earns a spot at The Players Championship next year. The tournament began as the Senior Players Championship. ... Padraig Harrington is playing the tournament for the first time. ... Bernhard Langer is a three-time winner but never at Firestone South. Next week: U.S. Senior Open. Online: ___ Korn Ferry Tour WICHITA OPEN Site: Wichita, Kansas. Course: Crestview CC. Yardage: 6,910. Par: 70. Prize money: $1 million. Winner's share: $180,000. Television: None. Previous winner: Taylor Dickson. Points leader: Johnny Keefer. Last tournament: Austin Smotherman won the BMW Charity Pro-Am. Next week: Memorial Health Championship. Online: ___ European Tour Last week: J.J. Spaun won the U..S. Open. Next week: Italian Open. Race to Dubai leader: Rory McIlroy. Online: ___ LIV Golf League Last tournament: Joaquin Niemann won LIV Golf Virginia. Next week: LIV Golf Dallas. Points leader: Joaquin Niemann. Online: ___ Other tours Royal and Ancient GC: British Amateur, Royal St. George's GC, Sandwich, England. Previous winner: Jacob Skov Olesen. Online: Epson Tour: Island Resort Championship, Sweetgrass GC, Harris, Michigan. Defending champion: Soo Bin Joo. Online: Ladies European Tour: Tipsport Czech Ladies Open, Royal Beroun GC, Beroun, Czech Republic. Defending champion: Marta Martin. Online: Challenge Tour: Blot Play9, Golf Bluegreen de Pleneuf Val Andre, Pleneuf, France. Previous winner: John Parry. Online: Japan LPGA: Nichirei Ladies, Sodegaura CC (Shinsode), Chiba, Japan. Previous winner: Akie Iwai. Online: Korea LPGA: The Heaven Masters, The Heaven Resort, Ansan, South Korea. Defending champion: Sohyun Bae. Online: ___ AP golf:
Yahoo
15-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Jerar Encarnacion scores on error
Clanton: 'If you have a goal, you can get there' Ahead of his first professional start at the RBC Canadian Open, Luke Clanton shares why he is ready for a life on the PGA Tour after making 13 starts as an amateur with six top-20 finishes and just three missed cuts.
