After his first appearance on Athlon Sports, the notable PGA Tour star has withdrawn from John Deere Classic.
The first round of the John Deere Classic in Sylvis, Illinois, unfolded Thursday, with Doug Gimm holding the solo lead after an impressive nine-under performance. Max Homa and Austin Eckrote sat right behind him, tied second at 8 under.
Last year’s champion Davis Thompson dominated the tournament with a 28-underpal show, eventually winning by four strokes.
There is still plenty of golf left to play in the next three days, but one notable name won’t continue. Stephen Geger, a veteran of the PGA Tour and a longtime top-ranked German golfer, has officially withdrawn from the tournament after just one round, the PGA Tour announced on social media on Thursday.
Stephen Jeger WD after the first round of the John Deere Classic
– PGA Tour Communication (@pgatourcomms) July 3, 2025
Fans responded to Jaeger’s sudden decision to withdraw following a dull performance in the opening round. There he shot a 3-over par. The withdrawal was a surprise given Jaeger had cuts by 109 times 109 times in his 170 career PGA Tour event.
“All golfers who have bad rounds do this now,” the fan said.
“If everyone saw a group that was featured this morning, he had a complete look…playing very quickly, playing in just a few shots without time. Everything is fine!” another fan posted.
“What happened to the Jaeger Meister game will be researched at the university for a long time.
Another fan commented, “He’s in a bad shape. I can’t blame him. Now he can spend the weekend of July 4th.”
Stephan Jaeger is currently ranked 56th in the world and despite experiencing several struggles in 2025, he has built a solid career since exploding into the scene in 2018.
In addition to that victory, Jaeger recorded first place finishes, third place in third and six top five finishes. He was also placed in the top ten in the 11th inning.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on July 4, 2025, and first appeared there.
