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PGA Tour Makes Major Announcement During the First Round of the John Deere Classic

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Sahil Goswami | Last updated Jul 4, 2025 7:27 AM ET

The John Deere Classic is underway at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Illinois, and Thursday's opening round delivered notably right from the start. Doug Ghim led the charge with a brilliant, bogey-free 9-under 62, putting himself in prime position to chase his first PGA Tour victory.

Ghim, who has 160 starts under his belt in six years on Tour, holed out for eagle on the par-4 sixth and hit fairways with precision. Max Homa and Austin Eckroat share the second spot in the Classic after round 1.

The standout headline from round 1 wasn’t just Ghim’s performance, it was the record-breaking number of eagles. A total of 33 eagles were recorded on Thursday, the most in a single round at TPC Deere Run since the tournament moved there in 2000.

The previous high was 26 in the opening round of 2024. Scoring conditions were ideal, and the players took full advantage. Eckroat contributed two of those eagles, including a hole-out from 137 yards on the par-4 fifth.

There were 33 eagles recorded in the first round of the John Deere Classic, the most eagles in a round at TPC Deere Run since 2000.

Previous: 26/2024/R1
— PGA TOUR Communications (@PGATOURComms) July 4, 2025

With the course playing soft and fair, low numbers were everywhere. Fourteen players shot 65 or better in the morning wave alone. Among them was Rickie Fowler, who turned in a front-nine 29 on his way to a 65.

Meanwhile, 2018 champion Michael Kim and Sam Stevens both posted 64s, keeping themselves in early contention. Kim, who once struggled enough to return to the Korn Ferry Tour, now has a shot at playing all four majors in a year for the first time.

As the championship unfolds, fans can expect more drama and possibly more records. After all, the John Deere Classic has produced more first-time winners than any other PGA Tour event since 1970.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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