Birdies for Charity raised a record amount this year from the annual John Deere Classic, according to tournament officials at an event in Moline.

This year’s Classic raised a record $14,102,833 through its Birdies for Charity program and will pay a 7.5% bonus to its 478 participating charities. Tournament officials made the announcement Tuesday at the John Deere Pavilion in downtown Moline. This total beats the previous record of $13,908,668 set in 2022 by $194,165 or about 13%.

“The John Deere Classic is thrilled not only to announce a charity total of more than $14 million but also that Birdies for Charity will pay a 7.5% bonus to our 478 participating charities,” said JDC tournament director Andrew Lehman.

“We are thankful to our John Deere, other corporate partners, individual donors and local family foundations for their ongoing generosity and support of Birdies for Charity,” he said. “John Deere’s reputation for its commitment to corporate citizenship is widely known and the company’s support for the tournament and our charity is fundamental to their success.”

The highlight of the announcement is the annual contest where donors guess the exact number of birdies recorded at the tournament to win a two-year lease on a car from Smart Lexus of Quad Cities. This year, only one person correctly guessed 1,929 birdies. Diane Moore of Moline was the lucky guesser who won the lease.

The $14.1 million raised this year averages out to $37.60 for each of the 375,000 residents in the Quad Cities. This makes the John Deere Classic the No. 1 in per capita contributions on the regular PGA TOUR, a distinction it has held for more than a decade.

Birdies for Charity was founded in 1971 and has raised $173,675,549 since then. Over 99% of that amount has been raised since John Deere took over title sponsorship in 1998.

The John Deere Classic, which includes Birdies for Charity, is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization located in the John Deere Classic tournament offices in East Moline. For more information on the tournament or Birdies for Charity, click here.