Staying for the weekend

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Steve Stricker had to clean out his locker and head home early after missing the cut in the PGA Championship at Hazeltine. That was in 2009. And it was on his mind Friday at Quail Hollow when he was outside the cut line and running out of holes.

“It was on my mind today to play this weekend,” he said. “I wanted to be around this weekend.”

He followed with two 3-woods that led to easy birdies, and Stricker shot a 1-under 70 that allowed him to make the cut. That means Stricker, 50, has now gone eight consecutive years without missing a cut in the majors.

His 3-wood off the 14th tee reached the green about 18 feet away. He missed the eagle putt. On the par-5 15th hole, Stricker drilled a 3-wood up the hill and onto the green about 20 feet away. He missed that eagle putt, too.

Stricker had another birdie with a 7-iron into the par-3 17th, and then dropped a shot on the 18th from the bunker.

He hasn’t played every major in every year since that missed cut at Hazeltine. Stricker went a couple of years skipping the British Open because he was trying to reduce his schedule and that’s generally the week of his wedding anniversary.

At age 50, and Presidents Cup captain of the U.S. team, he’s getting busy again.

His wife, Nicki, is caddying for him at Quail Hollow. Both daughters have been traveling with him this summer, and Stricker used the British Open for a father-daughter trip with Bobbi Maria, who starts her sophomore year at Wisconsin in a few weeks.

“I’m enjoying it,” he said. “Nicki and the kids have been out with me practically every week, especially this summer and even some during school. We took our youngest out of school, home schooled her on the road when we were out. So I’ve played a lot more.”

Tiger Woods went nine consecutive years making the cut — 38 consecutive majors dating to the 1996 Masters — though he played all four of them each year (and won 10 of them before missing his first cut). Stricker was quite satisfied making his 26th cut in a row.