Stricker favourite in field at John Deere

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This article was published 11/07/2013 (4782 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

SILVIS, Ill. — Steve Stricker might be the only golfer on the PGA Tour who isn’t peeking ahead to Muirfield and next week’s British Open.

Stricker’s single-minded focus on TPC Deere Run, combined with his recent dominance of the course, makes him the man to beat at this weekend’s John Deere Classic.

Stricker, 46, is playing a reduced schedule this season — and he’s skipping the Open Championship to celebrate his wedding anniversary with his wife Nicki in Wisconsin.

But Stricker won the John Deere Classic three times from 2009-11. He’s not about to pass on a shot at a fourth title just down the road in Illinois.

“I owe a lot to this place. It’s a special place for me,” Stricker said.

Stricker and Zach Johnson, who grew up about 100 miles across the Mississippi River in nearby Cedar Rapids, Iowa, are the unquestioned headliners this week.

That’s largely because most of the world’s top golfers are already concentrating in Scotland.

Just eight of the world’s top 50 have committed to the tournament.

“It doesn’t matter where we’re playing or what the field looks like. They’re all good,” said Johnson, who also serves as an executive board member for the tournament. “If you don’t know the names, you’re going to know them at some point because they’re all too good.”

— The Associated Press