For one week each year, thousands of athletes, volunteers, staff, and media personnel fill the park at TPC Deere Run in Silvis for the John Deere Classic PGA tournament.
Some have worked the event for decades, others are experiencing it for the first time. Here are some of the faces you'll find this year at the 47th annual tournament.
Barbara Shipley, Leaderboard Calligrapher
Brian Spurlock, USA Today Photographer
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"I just like the challenge of trying to find something really unique and different. Anyone can get a regular tee shot or somebody putting, but the skill is really, you know, out there sometimes luck being in the right place at the right time. I just love covering golf, probably shoot like 15 tours events a year, average somewhere about 3,000 pictures a day. So if I'm here four days that's like 12,000 pictures."
Linda Little, volunteer
"I've volunteered for 42 years and they give out service pins every five years. I hope I can come back three years from now to get my next pin."
Ted Thoms, JDC Board Member and Clubhouse Gatekeeper
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"I'm part of the ambassador group and greeting the players and their families, and welcoming them to the Classic. It's a great way to give back to the community and the charities involved." Are you rooting for anyone specific? "Oh no, I'm rooting for everyone to have a great time."
Laurie Huff, JDC Marshal
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"I'm a marshal -- just keep the crowd quiet and make sure people don't walk up on the golfers, and no cell phones. Most of them are pretty respectful. Every once in a while, you know, but rarely. Usually if you just kind of like do this, you know, they'll kind of get it. Just kind of turn a little bit and 'I'm looking at you.'"
Alex Hall, Water Boy, Event Water Solutions
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"Usually the people are pretty awesome and they're always pretty happy to be getting free water. It's a really great way to reach out to your customer base in any festival and event. And John Deere Classic are forward thinking, trying to reduce the plastic waste and stuff like that as well as keeping people happy and hydrated."
Lieutenant Matt DeSmyter, Rock Island County Sheriff's Department
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"It's really a good experience for us, we get to see a lot of good people and it's good to help out in anyway we can. The hardest part obviously is standing the whole day, we take pretty long shifts, but that's not even that hard. A good portion of the department will come and go and fill in for the spots that are needed. And, you know, seeing the golfers and occasionally when we get an assignment where we get to watch a little bit of golf that always a good time as well."
