In the end, it didn’t matter that there were 36 holes to play on Sunday, it didn’t matter that there was a weather delay or that there were a great deal of players making very serious runs at the lead. None of that mattered, all that mattered was that Steve Stricker knew he was going to outlast them all and hold on tight for the victory. That’s exactly what he wanted to do, and that’s exactly what he did do.
Solid Final Round Play Secures Victory
After a course-record-tying second round on Saturday, Stricker came back on Sunday to start the day with his third-round with a 68, only to take a brief break and come back with a final round 64 to seal off the victory and notch his sixth career victory on the PGA Tour. Six total, but already the second this year, and with that victory came not only a pretty substantial check, a huge dose of momentum going into the British Open in 4 days, but also 500 Fed Ex Cup points to move him into second place, right behind Tiger Woods. Impressive.
Stricker Sounds Off…
When asked about his round, his performance already this season, and how he felt about all the players making serious runs at his lead yesterday, here’s what Stricker had to say:
“I’ve just given myself a lot of chances to win, Some didn’t go my way, and some have…Some of those scores, those guys had started on the back…And we kind of felt all week that you could maybe shoot a little lower on the back side. We just were trying to be patient, knowing that those guys were playing the back first and were going to have to come to the front and finish on some tougher holes.”
Momentum Booster, or Momentum Killer?
At any rate, it will be interesting, as usual, to see how this play translates into play at the British Open at Turnberry. They say the best way to win a major is to win a minor tournament right behind it, while others believe that sometimes a victory can be the biggest momentum killer. Who is right, and who is wrong we’ll have to wait until Thursday to find out.
Congrats Steve Stricker . Well played.
(Image via Cohen/Getty Images)
