K.J. Choi and Steve Stricker both posted course records of 62s to open the Sanford International 2023 on Friday.
Stricker won by one stroke at Minnehaha Country Club, Sioux Falls in South Dakota. This was his sixth win of the 2023 season, and 17th on the PGA Tour Champions.
Stricker, one of the two vice captains (Jim Furyk was the other) in the field, had 16 birdies over 54 holes – five consecutive on the back nine in the first round. He also recorded two eagles. Stricker’s eagles were on the 12th holes on both Saturday and Sunday. He only had four bogeys in the week. One was on the 18th hole, Sunday. But a cushion of two shots before this hole gave him some breathing room.
Bernhard Langer was the sole fourth finisher, his seventh top-10 of the season. This streak began when he won U.S. Senior Open back in July. He finished the week with a score of 12 under par, just four shots behind Stricker.
John Daly had, on the other hand, his highest finish in over a year, with a tie of eighth. Daly has finished 65th on average this season and has missed two events. This week he had a 66-64-60.
Aces High
Two holes-in one were recorded during the first round. Fred Funk made his hole-in-one on the 17th using a hybrid at 199 yards, while John Senden did it on No. The 8th hole was aced with a 132-yard pitching wedge. Jerry Kelly scored an ace at the 17th on Sunday.
ACE ALERT
jerrykelly13pga made a hole-in one on the 17th Hole @SanfordIntl. pic.twitter.com/dEcTVOZaPk
— PGA TOUR Champions 17 September 2023
Shooting age or better
Dick Mast (72), qualified on Monday and improved his age in the first round with a 70. He equaled his age in the third round on Saturday with a score of 72. He tied for 67th place on Sunday, beating nine other golfers including Jim Furyk, the European Ryder Cup Vice Captain Jose Maria Olazabal, and beating his age by one shot.
