SILVIS, Ill. — Old Tom Morris never camped out there, but Young Tom?

Perhaps.

In reality, the story of the "Trophy House" is far from the oldest in the game, but it certainly has become a long-running, oft-told tale at the John Deere Classic.

“I think that's more for you guys,” Denny McCarthy said of the ongoing story of the Airbnb just a few miles from TPC Deere Run, where three John Deere winners in succession have wiled away their off-course hours in the company of six fellow competitors. “We just do it because it's fun. We're all good buddies and we like hanging out outside of the golf course. Obviously, it's turned into a little bit of a story.”

Indeed. J.T. Poston, a wire-to-wire winner in 2022, begat 2023 champion Sepp Straka, who begat Davis Thompson, setting a new scoring record of 28-under par for the 54-year-old Quad Cities event en route to hoisting the 2024 trophy.

A newcomer to the frat house last year, Thompson even slept last July in the same bed Straka had before him. That’s where Thompson will lay his head this week as he bids to make it two in a row.

“Yeah, I got dibs, so hopefully have the same result,” he said. “I got here on Sunday night, so I was able to snag it.”

McCarthy, who is back in the house for a fourth straight year, may have something to say about that. He hasn’t cracked the winner’s circle at TPC Deere Run, but finished T6 in 2022 and 2023 and T7 a year ago. He is prominent among the pre-tourney favorites this year.

Thompson, Poston, Greyson Sigg, Patton Kizzire, Ben Kohles and Chris Kirk are also back at Trophy House this year. Kirk actually booked the joint in 2022, but had to withdraw ahead of the event. He stayed there in 2023, however, en route to a T23 finish.

McCarthy said there’s a more pertinent common denominator to the Trophy House’s run of winners than where they stay.

“I think it's pretty easy to just lose track of the fact that there's a bunch of really good golfers staying there,” he said.

Still, he said the comfortable digs, frat-house vibe and familiar friends may be a recipe for success.

“It kind of breaks it up as a different form of entertainment, if you will, with all of us just kind of playing games and kind of a chill vibe at the house,” he said. “This is always a fun week for us. We like each other's company and we like hanging out with each other.

“So yeah, this tournament is one that's circled on most of our calendars because we enjoy being in that house.”

For good reason. It’s a spacious and modern seven-bedroom home in an off-the-beaten-path setting with ample room to roam.

“I mean, it's a nice house,” McCarthy said. “It’s got enough bedrooms to sleep all of us. Sits on a big property. They've got a gator kind of golf cart that we take around the property. There's a pond out back where some of us go fishing. There's a basketball court. We shoot some hoops. I mean, you name it. We've just kind of had our own little paradise.”

Card games, dice games and who knows what else follow outdoors endeavors, yet, fun as it is to imagine an "Animal House" atmosphere, McCarthy revealed wives and kids do visit and hold blatant debauchery at bay. Somewhat.

“There have been wives that have stayed at the house certain nights, but for a majority of the week, it's just us,” he said. “I mean, they know it's kind of a frat house week.”

Interestingly, the house has been on the market for the better part of the year, but as yet, no buyer.

Come week’s end, perhaps, winner No. 4 will pay more than the week’s rent.