Stricker turns consistency to brilliance

BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2011 US PGA Championship | Round One | 12 Aug 2011

Steve Stricker leads the PGA Championship after round one at the Atlanta Athletic Club, his opening round of 63 falling one short of creating a new record low round in major championship golf.

Stricker, despite not yet winning a major championship, has become one of the game’s pre-eminent players in recent years. He has already won twice in 2011 and recorded ten other top 20 finishes in 14 starts.

A further indication of his amazing consistency is that he has not missed a cut since this event two years ago and today he provided further evidence as to just why he is the world number five.

Stricker was out in the morning field on day one and three consecutive birdies to start his round was the perfect way to take advantage of the near perfect overhead conditions. By the turn he had added two more birdies, those coming on perhaps the two hardest holes on the golf course, the 15th and 18th for an outward half of 30 and led the way.

He was almost faultless coming in, the end result being his 7 under par effort which has opened up a two shot lead over close friend and practice partner this week, Jerry Kelly.

Despite the fact that he has been so impressive this season, Stricker was unsure about what the day might hold in store when he stepped on to his first tee this morning. “I had not made too many birdies the first few days here,” said Stricker after his round. “I didn’t struggle going around here, but I didn’t drive it in the fairway that much in the practice rounds and didn’t make my birdies, and I really didn’t know what to expect today and maybe that was a good thing.

“I had no expectations, birdieing the first three and hitting it in there on the next two and didn’t make birdies there just kind of settled me down and got me going on the right foot.”

Stricker was delighted to see that his nearest chaser when he finished his round was Kelly. “I was watching Jerry, my buddy, Jerry. We played the last three days together, and he hit it great. In the practice rounds, if I had money to wager, I was going to put some money on him to win the tournament. He hit it great. It was nice to see him continue his form from the practice rounds into the tournament. So it was fun to see.”

Stricker was also full of praise for the Bermuda greens. “The greens are unbelievably perfect. Getting out this morning with not a lot of footprints on them, not a lot of marks, for Bermuda greens, and I’m not a big Bermuda fan, growing up in the Midwest, we strictly play on bent, but these putt as close to bent as anything without being bent.

“So they’re very good. They roll fairly true. There’s not a lot of grain in them yet it seems like, probably because they are new. So the grain isn’t a huge issue here, which is untypical of Bermuda greens. They putt pretty close to bent, but they’re very good.”

Kelly played 20 minutes later than Stricker and like his good friend made a fast start with three birdies in his opening four holes. A bogey at his 6th hole, the incredibly demanding 15th was his only blemish all day and at 65 he is in outright second position.

Former winner Shaun Micheel is alone in third position at 4 under and three behind the leader, while veteran and five times PGA Tour event winner, Scott Verplank, is at 3 under and on his own in 4th position.

The leading Australian is John Senden who despite a bogey at his final hole was round in a very impressive 68 to be in a share of 5th position.

“I’m delighted,” said Senden. “I played really nicely today. Struck the ball well off the tee and got a nice couple of birdies early in the round. Birdies on 3 and 5 kind of kick started the day, and drove the ball nicely.

“These greens are tough to putt on, fastest bermudagreens I’ve ever seen. So as I said earlier in the week, it’s like they are on steroids. But no, a comfortable day and tried to let it go all the way to the end. I did that and that’s the challenge for the next three days as you go deeper into the tournament, it’s more difficult. I have to continue on.”

Adam Scott’s round was somewhat of a roller coaster. Five birdies and four bogeys gave him a good opening round of 69 but bogeys at his final two holes will leave him wondering what might have been. Nonetheless he has done himself no harm and he knows it.

“Overall it was good, said Scott. “Under par around here I think is a good start. I was in a position to have a really good score and just dropped a couple coming in. Overall it’s good. I think it’s something I can build on for this week.”

Jason Day let a great opportunity slip when he dropped four shots in his final three holes including a double bogey at the dangerous last. His round of 71 was neither good nor bad however as only 22 players broke par on day one.

Robert Allenby at 2 over and Steve Elkington at 3 over are the next best of the Australians.

Tiger Woods provided much of the early discussion when his morning round turned to custard after what had been a great start. Woods birdied three of his first five holes before a double at the dangerous 15th (his 6th) set him on a downward spiral. His round of 77 was his worst ever major championship opening round and after his round he was disgusted by what had just transpired.

Woods was angry that the work he had put in to get the game to the point where he could just go ahead and play deserted him. “I was 3-under early, and I said, you know what, every shot I hit up to that point were all mechanical thoughts. I put the club in a certain position, and I was doing that and I said, you know what, I’m feeling good. Let’s just let it go. And it cost me the whole round.

US Open Champion Rory McIlroy damaged a wrist early in his round and although he did well to continue on and return a score of even par 70 his future in the tournament remains in doubt.

Given similar conditions tomorrow it appears a score of 5 or 6 over could still be good enough to make the cut over this very demanding layout.

Today if did not appear all that demanding to Stricker but tomorrow is another day.

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