Co-Leaders Go Low & Spieth’s Trash Can Relief - July 3rd, 2026

On July 3rd, 2026, Round 1 of the John Deere Classic delivered fireworks as Lucas Glover and Zac Blair surged to the top of the leaderboard with matching 63s amidst wild rules rulings and controversial course redesigns.JOHN DEERE CLASSIC CO-LEADERSLucas Glover and Zac Blair set the pace at TPC Deere Run with matching 63s. Glover dialed in his swing by fixing a "lifty" backswing, while Blair leaned on a conservative strategy to ease his FedEx Cup points stress.Supporting stat or quote: Blair highlighted his bogey-free round with a spectacular 9-wood eagle.Human angle or fun fact: Glover credited his sudden turnaround to an emergency swing fix with his coach, Jason Baile, proving that sometimes the smallest tweaks yield the biggest results.SPIETH'S WILD RIDE & ZACH JOHNSON'S ROASTJordan Spieth shot a chaotic 70 featuring a bizarre Rule 16.3 relief from under a Michelob Ultra trash bin, while 50-year-old Zach Johnson fired a brilliant 64 while managing the sweltering heat.Supporting stat or quote: Spieth on his ruling: "So it does not have to be as embedded? I mean, that is perfect." / Johnson on Fowler's missed putt: "I think Rickie threw up a little bit in his mouth."Human angle or fun fact: In true Jordan Spieth fashion, he managed to turn his trash can drop on the 15th into a miraculous birdie before ultimately double-bogeying the 18th hole.THE 4TH HOLE CONTROVERSY & MENTAL RESETSThe redesigned 4th hole is dividing the locker room, with Lee Hodges loving it while Zac Blair despises the blind shots. Meanwhile, Davis Riley abandoned his cut shot to fire a 65.Supporting stat or quote: Joel Dahmen shot a 66 after taking a mental reset trip, noting, "Scar tissue is a real thing out here."Human angle or fun fact: Davis Riley's swing change ("I have not hit the panic button yet") paid off instantly with a spectacular hole-in-one on the 16th hole.Quick HitsBen Griffin's historic comeback to shoot 69 after a 6th-hole quadruple-bogey, alongside Adam Svensson's slam-dunk eagle on 14 • Chris Gotterup's 66 aided by a "foul pole" bounce and his frustrations over the 2028 PGA Tour restructuring ("it is something that we have no say over") • Jackson Koivun's nervous pro debut ("if I am not feeling nerves, then that means I do not care"), Preston Stout's aggressive mindset shift ("my goal is to win"), and Seamus Power's withdrawal due to a recurring back injury. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.