Zach Johnson made his John Deere Classic decision look pretty smart in a hurry.

The 50-year-old Iowa native skipped the U.S. Senior Open, passed on The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale and won’t play the Senior Open at Gleneagles. Instead, Johnson chose TPC Deere Run, the place that has always felt bigger than just another PGA Tour stop for him. On Thursday, he rewarded that loyalty with a 7-under 64, finishing one shot behind early leaders Lucas Glover and Zac Blair.

Johnson, who won the John Deere Classic in 2012, closed like a guy who knows every inch of this course. He rolled in a 45-foot eagle from off the green at the par-5 17th, then stuck his approach at No. 18 inside 12 feet and buried the birdie. That eagle-birdie punch turned a strong round into one of the day’s best stories.

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For Johnson, this week has always carried extra weight. He’s in his first season on PGA Tour Champions and already owns two wins there, but the John Deere Classic still pulled him back. With hot weather and storms expected around Silvis, Illinois, the immediate goal is simple: survive the delays, keep scoring and make sure Thursday wasn’t just a feel-good cameo.

At the top, Glover and Blair did their damage early with matching 8-under 63s. Both players needed it badly.

Glover entered the week No. 119 in the FedEx Cup standings, with his exemption from his incredible 2023 back-to-back win stretch set to run out after this season. He also started the year recovering from surgery for a torn labrum in his left shoulder, making his opening 63 a reminder that his game still has some bite.

Blair came in at No. 160 in the FedEx Cup and has been grinding for starts wherever he can, including on the Korn Ferry Tour. A low number at TPC Deere Run doesn’t solve everything, but it gives him a real chance to change the direction of his summer.

Stephan Jaeger and Lee Hodges joined Johnson at 64. Jaeger, currently No. 60 in the FedEx Cup, is trying to stay inside the top 70 and reach the postseason.

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Jordan Spieth, back at the John Deere Classic for only the second time since his 2015 victory, opened with a 69 after a double bogey at No. 18 and a closing bogey. NCAA champion Preston Stout shot 66, while Jackson Koivun struggled to a 73 in his professional debut.

With 20 players already at 66 or better, TPC Deere Run is giving up numbers. Now Johnson, Glover and Blair have to prove they can keep firing.