Jordan Spieth reflects on history at John Deere Classic, making first start in 9 years

Spieth returns to TPC Deere Run for the first time since 2015 as the two-time John Deere Classic winner looks back.

Jordan Spieth is back in the Quad Cities for the first time since his 2015 John Deere Classic victory.

So far, it seems to be a sentimental trip for him as he reminisces on his history at TPC Deere Run.

Ahead of the tournament, Spieth joined the media to reflect on his 2013 and 2015 victories and how much has changed for him.

“I probably spent a little more time at the course back then, but in general, my day-to-day on the course hasn’t changed much,” Spieth said on Wednesday. “Off the course, it’s obviously very different.”

He has grown a lot from the young 21-year-old kid on Tour.

“I think I try to be that kid,” he said. “I try to think about being that kid every time I tee it up.”

Spieth is now a dad of two kids and has 13 PGA Tour wins.

Ahead of the tournament, he, his son Sammy and his daughter Sophie went to ‘The Big Dig,’

“I think Michael [Greller] had the most fun,” he said. “He and his two kids were out driving tractors around. It was a lot of fun. It was full circle, right? I was 21 the last time I was here, and now I’ve got two kids that I took to The Big Dig.”

He explained that his return to the John Deere Classic had been on the table since early spring, and thankfully, the timing worked out for his schedule.

“I was pretty excited about the idea that I would be coming back the Deere this year, now that we’re here, it’s crazy,” Spieth said on Wednesday.

“It really does feel like a second home. It’s been really cool, the reception I received since coming back one day at Zach Johnson’s charity event and then a couple of days here at the golf course. I don’t have support like this anywhere outside of DFW, so hopefully, that continues this week, and I can pick up where I left off.”

Spieth has only played in this event four times. The John Deere Classic gave him a sponsor exemption in 2012 when he finished T58. He would win in 2013, tie for seventh in 2014 and win again in 2015.

Will he have similar luck in his fifth start? So much has changed for him since his last start in the Quad Cities.

Spieth has not had his best season on Tour in 2024. He has played in 17 events and has just three top 10s and three top 25s. The 30-year-old has also missed five cuts.

Last week at the Travelers Championship, he finished T63. At the U.S. Open, it was a T41. Spieth missed the cut at Jack Nicklaus’ Signature Event, The Memorial.

The last time he finished inside the top 10 was at the Valero Texas Open with a T10. Since then, it has been an up-and-down grind. Despite his performances in the last few months, Spieth is among the betting favorites.

Nonetheless, this week holds a lot of weight for him. Spieth is currently No. 59 in the FedEx Cup rankings. He will need to find some success in the coming weeks if he wants to play past the FedEx St. Jude Championship.

Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.