Stricker turns back the clock at Barclays

BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2007 The Barclays | Round Four | 27 Aug 2007

Eleven years ago, when Steve Stricker won the Western Open in Chicago, the golfing world seemed to be his oyster. That victory was his second of 1996 and there seemed little reason to believe that there would not be many more to follow.

He finished 4th on the money list but twelve months later he had slipped to 130th and although there was the occasional good finish in subsequent years the potential he had displayed in 1996 has remained largely unfulfilled. Perhaps that is why when he won his first event in the US since July of 1996 at this week’s Barclays in New York, Steve Stricker was particularly emotional.

The reasons behind Stricker’s demise in the years between 1996 and 2007 are many but significantly a decision to change equipment when he was at the peak of his game set in motion the slide from which he took so long to recover. When a golfer is at his peak he feels bulletproof to some extent and the offers Stricker received in 1996 to use more fashionable equipment and for much more money seemed too good to refuse. They were but they would prove costly in the long term.

At the 2001 Accenture Match Play Championship at the Metropolitan Golf Club in Melbourne that year, Stricker spoke at some length on that very issue and a win at that event seemed to be the catalyst for a recovery. Again that was only short lived. He slipped again in 2002 and by the end of 2004 his full status on the PGA Tour was gone and in late 2005 he was forced to return to the PGA Tour School.

In 2006, with only limited PGA Tour status, Stricker managed to capitalise in the starts he was afforded and by year’s end he had done so well he was awarded the “Comeback Player of the Year” award.

In 2007 there have again been several very good finishes. Even before today’s win, he had accumulated US$2.6 million with six top tens including two runner up placings at the Wachovia Championship and the AT&T event at the Congressional Country Club. There were also very good week’s at the US and British Opens where he contended strongly in both.

Today Stricker led by one into the final round over the very much inform K.J. Choi but with three bogeys in his first 13 holes he had not exactly enhanced his chances of victory. Neither however had the man who would become his nearest pursuer, K.J. Choi who dropped three shots in his first eight holes.

Choi rebounded back with four birdies in his next seven holes to reach 14 under and at that point had the lead on his own. Choi had holed massive putts at the 12th and 15th from over 40 feet for birdie and he appeared to be in control of both the tournament and his game.

At the 16th Stricker holed a 15 foot putt after an excellent tee shot at the lengthy par three to move to 14 under and then at the 17th his second to the short par four finished five feet short and when that went in he was at 15 under and one ahead of Choi. Stricker found the rough from the tee at the par five last but Choi, desperately needing a birdie to have any chance, hit a solid tee shot.

Choi was first to hit and missed the green left while Stricker could only lay up. Choi missed the green left and found the bunker some 65 feet from the hole. Choi missed his 15 foot birdie attempt and that left Stricker with a 12 foot birdie putt but two putts to win the title. The putt disappeared and the title was Stricker’s by two over Choi and by three over Rory Sabbatini.

Geoff Ogilvy looked impressive all week and finished in a share of fourth with Ernie Els and Mark Calcavecchia. “I’ve never played well at all here at Westchester,” said Ogilvy after his round. “For me to have a decent, top four or five on a course I’ve never really played well on must mean I’m playing pretty good.

The next best of the Australian after Ogilvy was Adam Scott who had another good week at Westchester to follow his runner up placing in this event last year. Scott finished 14th, Aaron Baddeley 25th, Rod Pampling and Nick O’Hern 35th, Andrew Buckle 65th and Nathan Green 69th.

While Buckle did well to make the cut, he was unable to avoid elimination from the FedEx Cup series and he will join Steve Allan, Matthew Goggin and Gavin Coles as Australian casualties. Twelve Australians will however now move forward to this week’s Deutsche Bank Championship.

They are Adam Scott, Geoff Ogilvy, Aaron Baddeley, Robert Allenby, Stuart Appleby, Rod Pampling, John Senden, Nathan Green, Nick O’Hern, Peter Lonard, Steve Elkington and Stephen Leaney.