In Los Angeles at the Northern Trust Open on Sunday, an emotional Steve Stricker took the victory. In a tournament of very safe play for the pro, he managed to avoid risky shots and overconfidence. Stricker was the favorite to win the tournament, and surprisingly didn't display any of his fairly reckless golfing, but instead took it slow and steady—and won the race.
Stricker won with a 2-stroke lead above Luke Donald, with a closing 1-under 70. Stricker said he knew it would be hard, and he was playing scared, at least for a while. But when he got two birdies in a row, some of the fear started to abate. A par putt on hole 15 was what made it pretty clear it was his game to lose, and he didn't appear about to lose it.
This is his second time at #2 in the world, and his 8th career win, another emotional and tearful winning moment to go along with his other 7 wins, which were equally emotional for Stricker. This was his 4th win in 15 consecutive starts. While obviously happy, it was the mention of his career 4 years ago that brought the tears yesterday. Stricker's PGA Tour card was removed 4 years ago.
The last round was tense for Stricker for a while, with a 5 shot lead coming out of Saturday that was cut by half after a short-distance par putt. Donald, who finished second, birdied on hole 5 with a 10-foot putt. But he missed his next 2 birdie putts, both putts of about the same distance from the hole. Had he made those birdies, there could have been a tie for the win, or he could have even pulled ahead.
Donald acknowledged that the missed putts cost him. He finished with a 66. Striker ended with 16-under 268 and took the winner's loot, at just over $1.15 million dollars, putting his career earnings just over $25 million dollars.
The lead that Donald had cut in half grew back to 4 shots when Stricker started that steady, careful play that he finished the tournament with. Ironically, he was starting to struggle, then hit the 15th hole where he missed and chipped the shot to 10 feet from the hole, but landed the putt to birdie on his longest putt of the day.
Dustin Johnson, who tied with J.B. Holmes for 3rd place, had been in the lead, but managed only 74 on Saturday. He finished with a 66, while Holmes finished with a 67. Phil Mickelson, in a bid to be the first player to win at Riviera 3 years in a row, finished poorly with a 73 and a 14-shot deficit. He recently caused a stir with using a loophole to use a wedge that was technically banned, but has since retired the club.
Stricker was #2 for the first time in September after a big win in Boston. Asked if he could picture himself overtaking Tiger Woods, the #1 player who's out right now on a hiatus from the sport to work on his marriage, Stricker refused to consider it and said he'd just continue on doing what he does.
Photo Credits: proforged
Related Posts -
Mahan Clinches Phoenix Open Hunter Mahan defeated Rickie Fowler this past Sunday to win the 75th annual Phoenix Open (formerly known as the FBR Open) in Scottsdale, AZ, and took home the winning prize of $1.08 million. Former Oklahoma State player Mahan was 4 strokes back at one point but rallied and pulled ahead...... -
Gonzalez Takes SAS Masters Victory with Birdies in Five of Six Last Holes! Ricardo Gonzalez managed to win the SAS Masters this last Sunday by a total of two strikes after taking birdies on five of the remaining six holes of the course, walking away with a four under sixty-nine. This thirty-nine year old Argentine player managed to finish at ten below 282...... -
Turning Stone's Fourth Round Wrap Up It's been a pretty long time since we saw Matt Kuchar winning anything during the PGA Tour. It is because of this that we are not surprised he had a serious case of nerves when he ended up in a sudden death playoff during the fourth round of the Turning...... -
Woods Presents to Singh Trophy Tiger Woods stood posed, along side him the trophy for the Chevron World Challenge. It was a sight that was all too familiar, but there was a twist. Tiger Woods was presenting the trophy to the contest winner Vijay Singh. Ever since the U.S. Open, Tiger Woods has not played...... -
Watson and Prugh in Lead at Bob Hope Classic At the Bob Hope Classic in La Quinta, California, where no one could ask for more perfect sunny and warm golf weather, Bubba Watson and Alex Prugh are tied for the lead going into the final day. The Classic will wrap up on Monday at the Arnold Palmer Private course,......
Related Websites - Unexpected Winner at Sawgrass One of the most flawless and brilliant games this weekend was played by Henrik Stenson in the Players Championship in Florida. It was one of the richest tournaments played at a whopping $12.6 million. In the beginning of the day, Stenson was working with a five stroke shortfall behind the......
-
Gulbis First Latvian to Win in ATP Ernests Gulbis defeated Ivo Karlovic on Sunday at the Delray Beach International Championships at Delray Beach, FL, on Sunday, making him the first Latvian to win a title on the ATP tour. Ivo Karlovic from Croatia, ranked at #33, was second seed and lost 6-2, 6-3 on his 31st...... -
Roddick wins Brisbane International Andy Roddick won the Brisbane International this past Sunday at the Pat Rafter Arena by defeating the defending champ Radek Stepanek in two sets, but it wasn't easy. A tiebreak was needed both times. This was Roddick's first tournament after his knee injury last year that ended his season...... -
Gators Outlast Mississippi with 29 to 19 The top ranked football team University of Florida went up against Mississippi in Starkville during Saturday night, and they came away with their very first win against this team since the year 1985, managing to hold on tight to claim a win of 29 to 19, improving their score...... -
Surprises at Indian Wells The singles' winners at the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, California, came as a surprise to almost everyone. Ivan Ljubicic, a player who almost always makes a strong showing approaching the finals but inevitably loses out, defeated Andy Roddick in straight sets. And Jelena Jankovic also defeated Caroline Wozniacki......
- Wilson New Golf Balls Golf
- Custom Golf Balls Golf
- Bone Meal Lead Organic Fertilizer & Soil Amendments Gardening & Plants Yard, Garden & Outdoor Living Nursery
- Lead Casting Mold Downrigger, Outrigger Gear Fishing
- Volvik Golf Balls Golf
Categories:
Golf Ball Driver, Golf News, Golf Tournaments, steve stricker
Tags:
0 comments ↓
There are no comments yet...Kick things off by filling out the form below.
Leave a Comment