Stricker Gags Again

Don’t get me wrong. Mr. Fairway is in the tank for fellow Wisconsinite Steve Stricker. But his failure to close the deal at the Northern Trust Open in Los Angeles on Sunday was an out and out choke job. Sure Phil Mickelson was putting up bogeys on the scoreboard and Stricker’s final round 67 was five shots better than Phil’s 72. But when it came to crunch time, just like at the Hope, Stricker couldn’t close the deal. It was deja vu as his driver, long his Achilles heel, failed him again when he pulled his drive on the 18th hole into the left rough and made bogey. At the Hope, he hit two drives OB and one in the water to watch his chances of winning his first tournament since the 2007 Barclays evaporate. A wayward driver is nothing new to Stricker, who is 145th on tour in fairways hit percentage (56.25 percent). A balky driver caused the several year slump before he won consecutive comeback player of the year awards. Stricker, known for his prowess with the flat stick, also missed two makeable putts on the 17th and 18th holes that would have ensured a victory. On 18, Nick Faldo called his miss noting that Stricker very rarely hits his putts firm enough. Faldo also noted that Phil would hit his putt on 18 hard enough and he did. Perhaps Stricker, reputed to be one of the nicest guys on tour, needs get some toughen up pills from Badger football coach Bret Bielema.

Hitting range balls while wondering whatever happened to Mario Tiziani.