PGA Tour Golf History Made During the John Deere Classic on Thursday
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.
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Ghim, who has 160 starts under his belt in six years on Tour, holed out for an 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.
Doug Ghim during the second round of the Valero Texas Open golf tournament.Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images
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.
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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.
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Related: More PGA Tour Golfers Receive Good News on Monday Before John Deere Classic
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 4, 2025, where it first appeared.
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