SILVIS, Ill. — In a tournament defined by record-setting low scores, the 40th-annual John Deere Classic concluded Sunday with defending champion Steve Stricker retaining the title.
Despite Paul Goydos’ becoming only the fourth person in PGA history to shoot a 59 in July 8’s opening round, he was ousted by the consistent and unbelievably efficient Stricker — who recorded a 72-hole score of 258 — 26-under par and one stroke under the previous low score set by David Frost in 1993.
Goydos, conscious of but unconcerned about Stricker’s play, continued to compete at a top level.
“My expectations are to play as well as I can all the time,” he said. “I think part of the problem I’ve dealt with winning is that it did maybe raise expectations too high at times — or lose patience is maybe a better way of looking at it.”
Before Goydos and Stricker teed off at 9:50 a.m. Sunday, the gap between the two was sizable, with the odds favoring another Stricker championship.
As Stricker, or any other athlete will tell you, however, playing with a big lead can be a sure path to self-destructive performance.
“It’s just human nature that you don’t want to screw up,” he said. “It’s hard to overcome. You don’t want to give shots away and let the guy in by you making a mistake.”
After nine holes of play, Stricker’s six-stroke lead over Goydos had shrunk to four. An uncharacteristic bogey by Stricker on the 11th hole allowed Goydos a better opportunity to win his third career PGA tournament.
Goydos — nicknamed Sunshine because of his no-nonsense attitude and uncompromisingly high standards — was three strokes behind the fourth-ranked player on the PGA tour. If Goydos kept chipping away, he would at least force a playoff.
The 13th hole gave Goydos more hope when his efficient driving made for an easy birdie putt. Stricker, battling fears of losing the lead, managed only to save par.
Goydos and Stricker matched birdies on the 17th hole, thanks to a 6-foot putt by Stricker.
“I made some big putts over the last few years when I’ve had to,” Stricker said. “And I told myself … you can make this putt, even though I hadn’t been putting very well throughout the course of the day.”
Two strokes ahead and barring a complete meltdown, Stricker was on pace to escape the TPC Deere Run course victorious once again.
Then Stricker’s drive elicited gasps of disbelief from spectators crowding the 18th hole. He drove the ball into a tree, allowing Goydos to remain hopeful.
But he failed to capitalize. He drove the ball into a water hazard, took a penalty stroke, and finished the tournament 24-under.
“I tried, and I kept pushing and chipping and grinding and biting at [Stricker] and doing whatever I could,” Goydos said. “But in the end … the putt he made on 17 was a world-class putt, and that’s what top five players in the world do, and that’s what Ryder Cup players do.”
Despite Goydos falling short of his goal — to win the Deere Classic — he received an invitation to play in the British Open at St. Andrews in Scotland and a place in history as only the fourth player to shoot a 59 in 18 holes.
“I thought the guy played great all week,” said Bryan Blackburn, 41, a fan who watched the tournament. “I’d like to see him be a little more competitive there at the end …[there were] a lot of good scores out here this week; it was pretty amazing.”