PGA Tour’s John Deere Classic canceled because of coronavirus restrictions

The 2020 John Deere Classic — which was scheduled to run from July 9th to July 12th — has been cancelled due to coronavirus restrictions, tournament officials announced Thursday. It was set to be the fifth event in the PGA Tour’s revised schedule. It was supposed to be the first event in some time to allow spectators, but Illinois won’t be allowing gatherings of more than 50 people in July, which threw a wrench in those plans.

“Because of the ongoing health and safety concerns related to the coronavirus pandemic, the difficult decision was made to cancel the 2020 John Deere Classic,” tournament director Clair Peterson said when addressing the cancellation. “While we considered several alternatives for the Classic, this was the choice that made the most sense for our guests, the players and the Quad City community at large.”

Although the event has been called off, tournament brass plans on honoring its commitment to the 2020 Birdies for Charity campaign and will contribute a five percent bonus to all participating organizations.

According to ESPN, the PGA Tour is considering replacing the John Deere Classic with an even at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. The tour will begin a spectator-less Charles Schwab Challenge on June 11. Whether fans will return in the coming months remains to be seen.