The PGA tour players are taking the week off before heading to the U.K. for some top European golf of the season. PGA is playing here in the John Deere Classic is a wideout tournament. So, despite the lack of big PGA players this event can still be very entertaining.
PGA Tour
JOHN DEERE CLASSIC
Site: Silvis, Illinois.
Course: TPC Deere Run. Yardage: 7,289. Par: 71.
Prize money: $8.4 million. Winner’s share: $1.512 million.
Television: Thursday-Friday, 4-7 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday, 1-3 p.m. (Golf Channel), 3-6 p.m. (CBS).
Defending champion: Davis Thompson.
FedEx Cup leader: Scottie Scheffler.
Last week: Aldrich Potgieter won the Rocket Classic.
Notes: Max Greyserman has four runner-up finishes in the last year, including last week in the Rocket Classic. … The R&A no longer offers a British Open spot to the leading finisher in the John Deere Classic. … The world ranking after this week is used as an alternate list for the British Open. Among players it potentially could affect are Nico Echavarria, Bud Cauley and Si Woo Kim. … Luke Clanton returns as a PGA Tour member. He was runner-up last year at the tournament while still an amateur at Florida State. … NCAA champion Michael La Sasso of Ole Miss is playing for the second straight week on a sponsor exemption. … The tournament dates to 1971 on the PGA Tour schedule. Former tour commissioner Deane Beman won the first two editions of the John Deere Classic. … Aldrich Potgieter at the Rocket Classic and Karl Vilips at the Puerto Rico Open are the only two PGA Tour rookies to win this year.
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European Tour
BMW INTERNATIONAL OPEN
Site: Munich.
Course: Golfclub München Eichenried. Yardage: 7,354. Par: 72.
Prize money: $2.75 million. Winner’s share: $458,333.
Television: Thursday-Friday, 6:30 a.m. to noon (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday, 6:30-11:30 a.m. (Golf Channel).
Defending champion: Ewen Ferguson.
Race to Dubai leader: Rory McIlroy.
Last week: Adrien Saddier won the Italian Open.
Notes: The leading five players in the Race to Dubai after the BMW International Open who are not already eligible earn spots in the British Open. … This is the final event of the European Swing. Next is the “Closing Swing” that runs through Aug. 17 at the Danish Open. … The field includes LIV players Sergio Garcia, David Puig, Patrick Reed, Josele Ballester and Martin Kaymer, who won the tournament in 2008. … David Feherty won the inaugural BMW International Open in 1989 by five shots over Fred Couples. … The only two Americans to win the tournament are Paul Azinger (twice) and John Daly. … Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald is in the field. This is his fourth European tour start of the year. … Sponsor invitations were awarded to Wesley and George Bryan, the South Carolina brothers best known for their golf tricks on a YouTube channel.
Next week: Scottish Open and ISCO Championship.
Online: https://www.europeantour.com/dpworld-tour/
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LPGA Tour
Last week: Jin Hee Im and Somi Lee won the Dow Championship.
Next week: Amundi Evian Championship.
Race to CME Globe leader: Jeeno Thitikul.
Online: https://www.lpga.com/
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LIV Golf League
Last week: Patrick Reed won LIV Golf Dallas.
Next week: LIV Golf Andalucia.
Points leader: Joaquin Niemann.
Online: https://www.livgolf.com/
