The 2026 John Deere Classic boasts one of the strongest fields, including big names like Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler, and Keegan Bradley, who are ready to tee it up. Meanwhile, Jackson Koivun will make his professional debut as players compete for a share of the $8.8 million purse. Still, the tournament will be without three marquee names.

Scottie Scheffler

The World No. 1 is the biggest name the TPC Deere Run won’t see this year. The reason? Well, Himothy’s 2026 has been defined by a string of agonizing near misses, including the latest playoff loss to Viktor Hovland at the Travelers Championship. Since winning the American Express in January, he has come inches from winning four times in 14 starts. Still, his performance hasn’t been too shabby, with nine top-10 finishes on the season.

He feels exhausted after the latest loss and wants to take a rest to prepare for the upcoming major tournaments. So, skipping the originally named Quad Cities Open has more to do with fatigue.  

With the Open Championship 16 days away, the World No. 1 will want to enter Royal Birkdale completely rejuvenated and prepared. Interestingly, he had withdrawn from the Texas Children’s Houston Open in March, but for a different reason: his wife, Meredith, had given birth to their second child.

Viktor Hovland

The 2026 Travelers Championship winner has rarely made TPC Deere Run a regular stop on his schedule. The Norwegian has played the event only once before, in 2019, as a newly turned professional, finishing tied for 16th. He has been skipping the tournament since. 

But this time, he’s skipping for a different reason: his first PGA Tour tournament win this season, the Travelers Championship. After a year of inconsistent performances, including three missed cuts and one withdrawal, he finally won. Possibly tired from the preparation and effort, he will skip TPC Deere Run to rest and prepare for the next major, possibly The Open Championship. 

He previously skipped The Memorial Tournament without giving a specific reason. 

Rory McIlroy

Unlike Hovi, who played once, the two-time Masters champion has never played the John Deere Classic. In fact, the Northern Irishman has not competed since a T32 finish at the U.S. Open. Wee-Mac also skipped the Travelers Championship to focus on links golf in Europe. And per reports, he will return only at The Open Championship. 

The 37-year-old was going strong: a Masters title earlier this season and three top-10 finishes. But a back injury forced him to withdraw after the third round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March. Injuries also appear to be a consistent problem for the Irishman. So, McIlroy has prioritized staying fresh for golf’s biggest events.

Despite these big names missing the event, there are many more things to look forward to. After a successful collegiate career, Jackson Koivun makes his debut here as a pro. Other notable names to watch out for at the event are Chris Gotterup, Ben Griffin, Jacob Bridgeman, and Keegan Bradley, to name a few.