Steve Stricker’s victory on Sunday at the Sanford International in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, was extra meaningful for him.
And not just because the Wisconsin native made history with his third straight win at the tournament, becoming the first golfer to accomplish a 3-peat on both the PGA Tour and PGA Tour Champions. In addition to the 3-peat at Sanford, Stricker won three John Deere tournaments from 2009-11 on the PGA Tour.
The win was a personal year-long quest to honor his dad, Bob Stricker, who died in January at 86 years old.
“This one was for him,” Stricker said, fighting back tears in an emotional interview with NBC Sports, after winning a four-hole playoff over Richard Green.
Stricker, 57, in another interview inside the locker room explained how he “put a lot of pressure on myself this year to win one” for his dad, one of his “biggest fans.”
“He showed me how to play the game, taught me everything about life,” he added. “I owe him a lot, as far as the guy I am, the person I am and then obviously the guy who got me going in the game of golf.”
In 2023, Stricker made winning on the PGA Tour Champions look easy. He won six times in 16 events he entered, including three majors. It felt like every time he stepped out on the course he would be raising a trophy. Before Sunday, his last trophy came in Sioux Falls last year.
Stricker’s 2024 season showed that it’s not so simple and the loss of his dad has been weighing heavily on him, he said. He had nine top-10 showings in 11 events before the Sanford International but had yet to win a tournament.
He’s had several close calls, including at his home tournament in June in Madison when the win slipped away after he was beaten in a playoff by Ernie Els. The tournament ended after Stricker missed an uncharacteristic short putt.
“I remember trying to win at American Family Championship I had a four-shot lead,” Stricker said. “I had flipping tears coming down my face trying to get it done.”
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On Sunday, he got it done. He entered the final round tied for third and three strokes back. But Stricker started fast with four birdies on the front nine and found himself in the lead down the stretch.
His dad was on his mind.
“Right at the start of the day, you know, that I was thinking about him and just wanting to get it done in the worst way and kind of honor him with a win,” Stricker said in a video posted on the PGA Tour Champions social media account. “I was thinking about it right away.”
But Stricker thought he “threw it away again” after not closing the deal in regulation. A bogey on the 18th hole and a birdie by Green sent the tournament into a playoff.
Stricker then hit some brilliant shots during the playoff and sealed the victory with an impressive approach shot on the fourth playoff hole that hit the pin to set up a short birdie putt for the victory.
“So happy to just get it done,” Stricker said. “So happy to just kind of think about (my dad) through this whole process.”
Stricker called Minnehaha Country Club “a special place.”
The 3-peat began with his win in 2022 when he also won a playoff. He then had a blistering -16 in 2023 to win by one shot. Stricker also won the tournament in 2018. Stricker noted that the tournament is extra special since Madison native and two-time U.S. Open champion Andy North is the host. Stricker and North are good friends.
“It feels like a home course advantage,” Stricker said of Minnehaha. “I love this place.”
Steve Stricker gives epic post-round pose, in a throwback to Michael Jordan after his 3-peat with the Chicago Bulls
Steve Stricker highlights at the Sanford International
Here are highlights from Stricker’s historic victory on Sunday, including an amazing escape on the first playoff hole.
Steve Stricker PGA Tour Champions wins
Stricker’s win is his 18th on the PGA Tour Champions, the 50-year-old-and-over tour.
He won three tournaments in his first year in 2018, including his first Sanford International, two in 2019, both of which were major championships, two in 2021, four in 2022 and six in 2023.
Overall, Stricker, who was the captain of the Ryder Cup in 2021 at Whistling Straits, has 30 combined wins on the PGA Tour and PGA Tour Champions.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin’s Steve Stricker makes history with second golf 3-peat
