Davis Thompson produced a record-breaking display to earn a maiden PGA TOUR win at the John Deere Classic and secure himself a place at this month’s Open Championship.
The 25-year-old American entered the final round in the lead and hit eight birdies and one bogey at TPC Deere Run, closing with a seven-under 64 and finish on 28 under to establish a dominant seven-shot victory.
He surpassed the previous tournament record of 27 under, set by Michael Kim in 2018, with his final total in Illinois and is now set to make a debut appearance at the final major of the year, the 152nd Open Championship at Royal Troon.
He has joined an elite group of 24 players who have secured their first PGA TOUR victory at the John Deere Classic, the highest number for any tournament since 1970.
“Qualifying for The Open was just an added incentive to this,” said Thompson.
“The goal was to win the golf tournament after getting off to a great start and I was able to finish it off.”
Additionally, the ex-Georgia standout also took home the $1.4m prize winner’s check from the overall $8 million purse.
China’s CT Pan also sealed qualification for this month’s major after finishing tied-second alongside American pair Michael Thorbjornsen and Luke Clanton. Pan earned the second Open qualification spot due to his higher world ranking and will be making his first appearance at the tournament since 2021.
What is the next event?
The next event on the PGA TOUR schedule is the Genesis Scottish Open taking place between 11-14 July at The Renaissance Club in Scotland.