Steve Stricker’s Victory at Sanford International Marks 6th PGA Tour Champions Triumph Of The Year
For opening round of the 2023 Sanford International, K.J. Choi and Steve Stricker each shot a course record 62.
The coming weekend, Steve Stricker had rounds of 66-66 at Minnehaha Country Club in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to win by one stroke. This was his sixth victory of the 2023 season and his 17th overall on the PGA Tour Champions.
Stricker recorded 16 birdies, including five straight on the back nine during the opening round, and two eagles over 54 holes. He was one of two vice-captains for the Ryder Cup in the field, along with Jim Furyk.
Saturday and Sunday saw Eagles on the 12th hole. A two-shot lead going into the 18th hole gave him some breathing room even though he only had four bogeys the whole week, one of which came on Sunday.
With $3,956,127, Stricker broke the previous record for the most money made in a single season on the Champions PGA Tour while also collecting $300,000 for the victory.
A streak that began when he won the U.S. Senior Open in July saw Bernhard Langer finish solo fourth, giving him seven straight top-10 finishes this season. He completed the week with a final-round score of 64 and was four strokes behind Stricker at 12 under par.
When it came to his performance, John Daly tied for seventh; that was his best result in almost a year. This season, Daly has averaged a 65th-place finish and has been disqualified from two races. He has had 66, 64, and 70 this past week.
Aces are up
The opening round included two holes-in-one. Using a hybrid from 199 yards, Fred Funk made an ace on the 17th hole, while John Senden made an ace from 132 yards on the eighth hole. On Sunday, Jerry Kelly scored an Ace at the 17th hole, adding to the total.
Shooting at or above his age
After qualifying on Monday, Dick Mast, 72, entered the tournament and shot an even-par round of 70 to advance in age. In the third round on Saturday, he shot a 72, matching his age.
In the final round on Sunday, he outperformed his age by one stroke and tied for 67th place while defeating nine players, including Jim Furyk and Jose Maria Olazabal, the vice-captain of the European Ryder Cup.
