Today's share from "Magic Happened" starts with a kid playing in the sand. (More specifically, a 19-year-old Jordan Spieth readying to hit the shot from a greenside bunker that launched a rocket ride to superstardom.)open.substack.com/pub/craigdevri…

Just spit-balling here, but what if every player who resents Caitlin Clark's impact on women's hoops were asked to raise their hand. Then they can go back to their 2023 salary and fly coach and not have to deal with said impact. That work, ladies?

The money quote from the late, great Jack Pulford, gave the money quote for how the Jaycees saved the tournament: “We were all idiots. We were young, man. We thought we could do anything.": Chapter 3 open.substack.com/pub/craigdevri…

Playing golf really wasn’t Ed McMahon’s idea of a good time, but The Tonight Show emcee never was one to turn down an invitation to a party. And the chance to host one? HEYO! Magic Happens: Chapter 4 open.substack.com/pub/craigdevri…

Magic Happened: Chapter 5 1984 was when I first joined the beat. It was an early lesson in what a community will do to save a treasured event. open.substack.com/pub/craigdevri…

Why did Quad Citians fight so long and so hard to keep alive The Little Tournament That Could? “This was our Chicago Cubs, this was our Cincinnati Reds, this was our Kansas City Chiefs,” John Wetzel said. Magic Happened: Chapter 6 open.substack.com/pub/craigdevri…

Today's chapter details the heartbeat of the John Deere Classic, the incredible volunteer force. open.substack.com/pub/craigdevri…

Built through ingenuity and the relentless generosity of the QC community, Birdies for Charity is admired across the PGA TOUR, even by players like Tiger Woods. More than something the tournament does, it is what John Deere Classic is.open.substack.com/pub/craigdevri…

Some fifth-place ties are more epic than others. open.substack.com/pub/craigdevri…

Duke Butler’s recall of how the conversation transpired that May 1996 morning is surprisingly clear and bolstered by a consummate storyteller’s appreciation for detail. “They had these wonderful sticky buns,” he began ...open.substack.com/pub/craigdevri…

This was fun. I hope Todd lets me keep me job!

"We got 6 more at least through 2030-- we kicked LIV's ass and we're still here" - Craig DeVrieze on current and future success of John Deere Classic We covered a TON on our inaugural "Off the Air with Matt Randazzo" JDC Preview. HUGE thanks to Craig DeVrieze, Tom Johnston, and TPC Deere Run GM Tod

This guy sure has a way with words. I hope the Crown Prince doesn’t send his Bonesaw Brigade this way.

Bet the House. (And, psssst, Chris Kirk already is looking pretty good today.) pgatour.com/article/news/l…

Imagine how surreal it must be to return to your native Quad Cities to watch your 20-year-old son compete against 155 of the best players in the game. “It's fantastic,” George Koivun said Thursday. open.substack.com/pub/craigdevri…

I completely agree with this guy. He must be smarter than he looks.

Can you imagine these incompetent WNBA referees trying to handle a game played with actual pace? This is a not-ready-for-primetime league. I’d fire Cathy Englebert yesterday.

A.J. Preller: Blowing up championship fantasy teams since 2015. #TradeDeadline

This bag belongs in the Quad Cities, where Michael won his first title. (We all know there are more to come.) I’ll donate to a Birdies for Charity auction!