Stricker digs deep for third John Deere
BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2011 John Deere Classic | Wrap | 11 Jul 2011
Steve Stricker produced one of the great final hole birdies of all time at this week’s John Deere Classic at the TPC Deere Run in Silvis Illinois to win the event for the third consecutive year and elevate his hopes for a possible first major championship next week.
In what turned into an intriguing final round, Stricker fought back after having relinquished a five shot lead through nine holes.
PGA Tour rookie, Kyle Stanley, playing in just his 32nd PGA Tour event but only his 20th in his rookie season, found a way to eat into Stricker’s lead with birdies at the 10th, 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th holes to move to 22 under par at which point he had a share of the lead.
Stricker, who was playing in the group behind, then found trouble at the 15th and 16th and with two holes to play he was two behind. Stanley missed the fairway at the 17th and in the end did well to salvage par at the par five but at the 18th, and with a two shot lead standing on the tee, he again missed the fairway. He found the right hand bunker with his second from the the trees and missed a ten foot par saving putt for par.
Stricker holed a 12 foot birdie putt at the 17th for birdie to claw within one of the lead and thinking perhaps he might need a birdie at the last to tie found the left hand fairway trap at the last. His stance was awkward in fact on course commentator David Feherty perhaps summed it up best when he said it was like a giraffe at a water hole.
With 182 yards over water and to a left hand flag, Stricker hit the most unbelievable of shots to just off the back edge and perhaps 30 feet from the hole. The putt ran through the fringe then started to move to the right as Stricker raised his putter in anticipation of it dropping. In it went and Stricker had continued his domination of this tournament.
Stanley received some consolation for the fact that he had missed an opportunity to win his first PGA Tour event with the news that he had earned himself an Open Championship start. The leading player amongst the top five finishers this week not otherwise exempt for the Open Championship earned a start at the Open and Stanley must surely take advantage of that.
Another rookie, Canadian Matt McQuillan, finished in share of third with Zach Johnson while Charles Howell and early tournament leader, Chez Reavie, tied for 5th.
The best performance by an Australian and an encouraging one at that was by Cameron Percy who has been forced to split his schedule this year between the USPGA and Nationwide Tours due to his limited PGA Tour status. A bogey at the last was costly for the Victorian but his share of 7th earned him US$145,000 which could prove very handy later in the year when the money list sums are added. He has only advanced to 160th on the money list but it is progress.
Aron Price also had a good week when 12th, Steve Bowditch was 38th, Rod Pampling 45th, Nathan Green faded to 60th after a good start to the tournament, Michael Sim was 65th and Jason Day was a surprising 68th.
The PGA Tour moves in two directions next week. The Open Championship will be played at Royal St Georges while the Viking Classic is played in Madison in Mississippi.
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