Lucas Glover and Zac Blair fired matching 63s at the John Deere Classic, while Zach Johnson stayed one back with a vintage 64 at TPC Deere Run as July heat hit.
The John Deere Classic wasted no time turning into a birdie-fest, and Lucas Glover and Zac Blair were the first to light the fuse at TPC Deere Run.
Both players opened with 8-under 63s in Silvis, Illinois, grabbing a share of the early lead and giving themselves a badly needed jolt in the PGA TOUR’s late-season FedExCup grind.
For Glover, this wasn’t just a hot Thursday. It was a reminder that he can still go low when his game cooperates.
The 44-year-old sits No. 119 in the FedExCup standings, and his safety net from that wild 2023 run when he won back-to-back starts, including a playoff event, expires after this season.
Coming off left shoulder labrum surgery earlier in the year, a 63 at a place where he’s comfortable had to feel like more than just a scorecard win.
Blair’s situation is even tighter. At No. 160 in the FedExCup, he’s been bouncing between available PGA TOUR starts and Korn Ferry Tour opportunities.
That makes every tee time feel like a job interview with a cut line attached. Thursday, he answered with eight birdies, no panic and a round that put him exactly where he needed to be.
Zach Johnson nearly stole the nostalgia show. The Iowa native, now 50 and already a two-time winner on PGA TOUR Champions, skipped the U.S. Senior Open to play the John Deere Classic — a tournament that means a whole lot more to him than a regular stop. Johnson won here in 2012, and he looked plenty comfortable again, finishing eagle-birdie for a 7-under 64.
His 45-foot eagle using putter from off the green at the par-5 17th was vintage Deere Run magic. He followed it with a closing birdie to sit just one shot behind Glover and Blair.
Stephan Jaeger and Lee Hodges also joined Johnson at 64, keeping pressure on a leaderboard that already looks packed. Jaeger, currently No. 60 in the FedExCup, is trying to lock down a top-70 postseason spot over the final stretch.
Jordan Spieth, back at the John Deere Classic for just the second time since his 2015 win, opened with a 69 after a costly double bogey at No. 18 and a closing bogey. NCAA champion Preston Stout shot 66, while Jackson Koivun’s pro debut started with a rough 73.
At TPC Deere Run, though, nobody’s safe. Low numbers are everywhere, storms are looming, and the FedExCup pressure is already cooking.
