John Deere Classic Golf Tournament Set to Return

It was a not-so-good outing last weekend in Augusta at the Masters for Cedar Rapids' Zach Johnson, but he has a chance to redeem himself, in front of a few lucky onlookers at one of this area's most exciting charity golf events, as the John Deere Classic is set to return after being called off last summer.

Despite the tournament being canceled last July, one of the events tied to it went on as scheduled and is already underway this year. The "Birdies for Charity" program continues, where last year over $12 million was raised for 465 Iowa and Illinois organizations.

The event takes place July 8-11 in Silvis, Illinois, around the Quad Cities and an hour and a half away from Cedar Rapids. That state's COVID-19 restrictions are different than in Iowa, and KWQC-TV says that a limited number of fans will be welcomed back to the course at TPC Deere Run.

The fundraising effort and tournament restrictions have changed in the following ways, for safety reasons:

• Donation amounts will not be tied to the number of birdies recorded by tournament contestants. Donors will make a flat donation to the charity of their choice. This will make for fewer touchpoints and quicker post-tournament reconciliation.
• Donors will still be able to guess the total number of birdies Tour pros will record in the Wednesday Pro-Am and the 72-hole tournament for a chance to win a two-year lease on a 2021 Lexus NX.
• Because of capacity limitations, no complimentary tickets will be issued. This will apply to charity tickets, donation requests, and Partner Program credentials.
• The deadline for contest and Partner donations is June 21, 2021. · All pledge forms are available at here. There will be no in-person pickup.

They have yet to determine capacity limitations, which will be decided closer to the event. They will have updates on Facebook and their website.