Steve Stricker vows to pitch for a Three-Peat at John Deere Classic on PGA Tour
Steve Stricker, the highest ranked American golfer, is all set to make headlines at the John Deere Classic when he will tee-off at the Deere Run Course to defend his title for the third time.
Currently ranked number five in the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR), Stricker is the most highly ranked American player for the moment, ahead of Phil Mickelson. For strange reasons, Deere is always like home-coming for the lanky American golfer
and he has won the event twice in the last two years.
“You like that extra pressure,” Stricker said. “Hopefully, I can get an opportunity again coming down the stretch on Sunday. But it's a long road. You got to play good. There are a lot of good players here this week, so it'll be tough.”
Stricker birdied all par-five holes to post his second consecutive victory at the John Deere Classic in 2010. He took over the favourite Paul Goydos by two shots, becoming the top ranked player on the USGA in birdie average and putting.
The American is aiming for a rare three-peat, which has been done only 21 times in tour history where a player has moved over to win three titles in a row. Tiger Woods, who won the title thrice in a row, is not participating in the event due to his
extended rehab for a knee injury recovery.
Stricker had a splendid season so far where he posted his 10th PGA Tour and his 18th professional win when he romped to a big win at the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide Tournament in June. He posted another joint four
finishes in the Shell Houston Open and Hyundai Tournament of Champions, besides winning two events in the previous year.
The world number 5 made the cut in all the 19 events he played in 2010 and all the eleven he played in the current year. He has won 18 professional events after turning professional in 1990 and his best major result came in the 1998 PGA Championship
when he finished for a joint third. Stricker was nominated Player of the Year for two consecutive years in 2006 and 2007.
The 44-year-old has not won a major in his career and will be aiming to post a major victory in the upcoming Open Championship at Royal St. George’s at Sandwich. Stricker is currently at number 11th on the FedEx Cup Money List and will be
facing a stiff resistance at the Open Championship apart from all the difficulty the American players usually face on a links style course.
Defending champion Louis Oosthuizen is part of the field at John Deere Classic and it would be interesting to see how the duo fights out the battle on the course. The results here at John Deere Classic as well as on the Barclays Scottish Open on the
European Tour will have a far reaching effect on the next major event of the year.
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