Brian Campbell is a month away from defending his title in the John Deere Classic, but a lot has happened to the University of Illinois alum since his playoff win over Emiliano Grillo last year at TPC Deere Run in downstate Silvis.
The win there was his first on the PGA Tour, at the 2025 Mexico Open, and it also came in a playoff. Those two victories got Campbell into two Masters tournaments, and he finished a solid tie for 24th at that first major championship of 2026. He also made the cut in the year’s second major, the PGA Championship, and is assured a spot in the third — this month’s U.S. Open on New York’s Shinnecock Hills course.
Campbell also got engaged this year and recently moved to Jacksonville, FL., all good things for the 33-year old who starred for the Illini from 2011-15.
Everthing, though, has not been going well for Campbell. He battled injuries that led to him missing four cuts and withdrawing in another tournament during a five-week stretch early in this season. His strong finish at the Masters ended that down period, and he hasn’t missed a cut since – but the injury hasn’t gone away.
“My shoulder blade is out of place and pushed forward,’’ Campbell said during a visit to the Quad Cities for a discussion on this year’s JDC. “It puts a lot of stress down my arm, so even gripping the club is an issue that I have to deal with.’’
At least it’s not the problem it once was.
“It’s come such a long way,’’ he said. “Recently it’s just about getting used to playing. It’s really hard to fix when I’m playing in tournaments, so the weeks off I have to really do what’s necessary. The weeks that it feels good I push the pedal down and practice probably too much.’’
The health problems have been a subject for discussion between Campbell and Mike Small, his coach at Illinois.
“There’s a lot of stuff that we talked about,’’ said Campbell, “but at the end of the day he liked to say `The hay is in the barn. You put in the work. Now it’s time to go out there and be an athlete and play.’’
It’s hard for Campbell to do that at times, but he’s qualified for every one of the PGA Tour’s signature events, where the paychecks are the biggest. The circuit is in the throes of change, though.
“They’re telling us those are going to go away,’’ he said. “No-cut events are going to go away, but it’s a good thing. We want to get back to normal tournament schedules. There’s a lot of changing, and there’s nothing I can touch on because nothing is set in stone, so we really don’t know what to expect. We’re kind of ready for anything. We trust where the tour is going and we’re just looking to be competitors out there at the end of the day.’’
While the talk of change spreads all through men’s golf, it isn’t a major topic for the JDC.
“We had a contract extension that keeps this event right here in the Quad Cities through 2030,’’ said tournament director Andrew Lehman.
This year’s tournament week is June 29 through July 5. The last four days are for the tournament rounds but there are some notable side attractions. Illinois men’s basketball coach Brad Underwood will be featured in the pro-am and Carrie Underwood gets the spotlight in the fourth year of the JDC’s Concerts on the Course series on the Fourth of July.