Steve Stricker faced a difficult decision this week: Should he play in a PGA Tour Champions major at the Bridgestone Senior Players or should he play at his personal unofficial fifth major, the John Deere Classic? The 52-year-old opted for the former, and just seven holes into his opening round, it’s clear he made the right choice.
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After birdieing the first two holes at Firestone, which is hosting the tournament for the first time, Stricker strung together four pars before getting to the par-3 7th. There, the man who dominated the U.S. Senior Open two weeks ago kept his magical summer going with a hole-in-one to grab the early lead. And the mild-mannered U.S. Ryder Cup captain celebrated the ace in extremely Steve Stricker fashion. Check it out:
https://twitter.com/ChampionsTour/status/1149330525712244737
A quick raise of the arms followed by a few high-fives. That’s it. Nothing loud. Nothing flashy. Just vintage Strick Show.
The 12-time PGA Tour winner, including three times at his beloved John Deere Classic, is in peak form as well. In addition to his six-shot win at the U.S. Senior Open, Stricker also won the first PGA Tour Champions major of the season, the Regions Tradition, by six shots. A win this week would match him with Jack Nicklaus and Bernhard Langer as the only golfers to win three senior majors in the same year.
Stricker was five under and playing his final hole when lightning delayed the first round.
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