Steve Stricker will take over as PGA Tour Champion.
After a six-shot victory at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship in Hualalai, Stricker, 55, won his 12 th Champions title – his fifth win from his last 11 starts. Stricker was 23 under, beating Mike Weir and Ken Tanigawa, who were all T-2 at 17 under.
Stricker said, “It was a lot fun.” “To win here, it was a lot of fun, even though I didn’t know what type of game I had going into this week. But it was quite good.”
Stricker started the final round with an advantage of two shots and continued to make three birdies in his first four holes. Nos. 13 and 14 were also birdies. Stricker won his 12th th victory in just five seasons of senior circuit play with a win on Nos. 10 and 13. He also made an eagle on the Par-5 14 _th.
Stricker shot a 12-under-60 during Friday’s second round, becoming the second player to shoot 60 or better on the PGA Tour and PGA Tour Champions. He joins Paul Goydos. Stricker shot a 60 in the opening round of the 2010 John Deere Classic. That was the same day that Goydos signed for his 59. Goydos shot 60 during the second round on the Champions tour’s 2017 3M Championship.
Stricker is also a 12-time winner of the PGA Tour. He has won a quarter his starts on the PGA Tour Champions.
“I saw that stat somewhere along my journey. Stricker said that he feels lucky and blessed to still be doing this, especially considering where he came from one year ago. He was referring to a serious illness that caused him to lose almost 30 pounds. It’s still fun. It’s still a lot of fun. My wife is a great support system. The kids love me playing, and Mario assists when he’s away. My family, my in-laws, and my parents are all there to support me. It keeps going. I feel like there is more to be done and that I can keep playing and playing at a higher level. It’s still exciting to get out there and play.
Stricker intends to “play a pretty busy schedule” this year and would like to continue playing a few PGA Tour events, such as John Deere Classic where he is a three-time winner.
The Champions tour returns Feb. 9-11 in Morocco with the Trophy Hassan II. It then returns to the States the week following with the Chubb Classic, February 17-19 at Tiburon Golf Club, Naples, Florida.
