Troy Matteson has a 3 shot lead after the 1st round of the John Deere Golf Classic, but 3-time Defending Champion Steve Stricker is in the hunt for a 4th consecutive title.
Matteson had 10 birdies on his scorecard Thursday for a 61. That's 3 shots better than Ricky Barnes.
Stricker is in a group of 7 golfers tied for 3rd place at 6 under par. He started his round at even par for the front 9. Stricker then shot a 6 under par 30 on his back 9 which included an Eagle 2 on the par 4 14th hole when he chipped in from the fairway from about 75 yards.
Stricker is trying to become the 5th golfer to win the same tournament 4 consecutive times.
Other notable names: K.J. Choi 65 (6 under par)
Zach Johnson 68 (3 under par)
John Daly 71 (Even Par)
This year's 1st prize check totals $828,000
