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BY: RORY SPEARS, LEAD WRITER AND ASSISTANT EDITOR OF GOLFERS ON GOLF

(Burlington, Iowa)

The 2014 John Deere Classic is in the books, no Steve Stricker , Zach Johnson or even Jordan Spieth didn’t win. But they all played well enough that they could have won, they all needed just a few more putts to fall.

Brian Harman did win. He is the 20th player to make the PGA event in the Quad Cities win number #1. He is not the first lefty to win the tournament either. Sam Adams did that back in the 1970’s. What Harman is, is the 6th University of Georgia Bulldog to win on the PGA Tour this year. What he got besides the trophy and the check was a ride to the British Open this week at Hoylake. Where Justin Rose comes in as the favorite to win.

Harman isn’t a big guy. He’s only 5’7″ and about 155 pounds. But he hits it big and his win this week will not be his last. Harman is one of Johnson’s neighbor’s in Georgia, and has played a lot of golf with Zach. As a result, Johnson was quick to say that it was no surprise to see Harman win. Stricker on the other hand was proud to admit he was there to see Harman get win number one.

Defending champion Jordan Spieth played well on the weekend, and made his finish respectable. But win #2 for him will have to wait. JDC fans can’t wait for next year already, another Stricker, Johnson, Harman and Spieth battle will keep everyone entertained in 2015. Here is hoping the fans get just that.

 VS 

What the Illinois golf fans will get next year is two professional golf events going to head to head, and competing for golf fans and the public golf dollar. I for one don’t like it and think the golf fans of this state deserve better.

In Chicago the Encompass Championship has been pushed back to July to switch dates with the U.S. Sr. Open that will take the Encompass June dates. Encompass is being pushed right into John Deere week in July. Spare me the it’s different tours and the two events are about 3 hours apart bit. It’s bad enough the BMW Championship keeps leaving town every other year, now this conflict.

Mike Galeski and his team are doing a nice job of growing the Encompass Championship in Chicago. While Clair Peterson and his staff have turned the John Deere Classic into a winner of an event every year, regardless of the fact it’s the week before a major and regardless of what players show up or don’t.

Both tournaments deserve all the fans they can get. Hopefully next year the fans will take turns and go to both tournaments in the same week. Us media types will have some tough calls to make, unless the bosses just make them for us.

I wondered if with the U.S. Open being in Seattle next year, that a more logical stop for the players just in 2015, would be John Deere instead of Hartford the week after Chambers Bay. That the Travelers would be a great stop the week before the British, and an easy skip over to the open from Connecticut. Not a bad idea right !, you bet it is which is exactly why it won’t happen.

During Sunday’s round I spoke with Peterson and ran my two cents past him, while he understood my plan, he won’t be going to commissioner Tim Finchem anytime soon for a 1-year date change request.

Click below to hear JDC-Tournament Director Clair Peterson comments on changing the John Deere Classic tournament dates.

I can’t say I disagree with his point of view. But I still don’t like two professional tour events in Illinois in the same week. John Deere appeared to be setting attendance and income records every day this week. Birdies for Charity should do just fine also, as the JDC is a tour leader and award winner in the donations they make after the event to groups around the Quad Cities. Here’s hoping they do even better in 2015.

The Encompass Championship’s contract runs out after 2015, the Deere contract expires after 2016. I’m hoping the date change doesn’t cause either company to not renew the contract or move their championship. We will see.

At least in 2015 the BMW Championship is back at Conway Farms, and that will help the big picture next year.

The Gog Blog tee’s it up at the Rick Jacobson designed Spirit Hollow Golf Club today, you will hear more about the course later this week. Until then, Go Play, and stop by the state amateur championship at Cantigny Golf in Wheaton. RS