Champion will defend title at John Deere Classic

Officials with the P-G-A Tour’s John Deere Classic near the Quad Cities were concerned that a move from September to July would cut down on the number of top players that would take part in the event. They received good news Monday when the world’s second-ranked player Vijay Singh announced he will be part of the field. Singh is the defending champion. Director Clair Peterson says getting Singh to the tournament last year was big in sending a signal, and it’s even more so to have him defend. The Deere Classic attracted a large number of big-name players with it’s September date in 2003. Peterson says the move back to its traditional month of July won’t have as big an impact on the field because it is the week before the British Open and not the week after. He says there’s no doubt it’s better to be before the British than after, as it’s easier for the golfers to travel.Peterson says getting a player like Singh to commit should draw other top players.The Deere Classic will be July 8th through the 11th at the Tournament Players Club.