Stricker makes it two in a row
Steve Stricker pulled away on the back nine yesterday at Fallen Oak to win the Rapiscan Systems Classic for his second straight PGA Tour Champions victory.
The 51-year-old Stricker closed with a 4-under-par 68, making birdies at all four par 5s on the Tom Fazio-designed layout in Biloxi, Miss. He finished at 11-under 205 for a 3-stroke victory ahead of Billy Andrade.
“Anytime you’re trying to win a golf tournament, it’s challenging and tough,” Stricker said. “You’ve got nerves to deal with, and when things don’t go well you think that you’re not going to win. You’ve got to ride that emotional roller coaster, and it was no different today.”
Stricker won the Cologuard Classic three weeks ago in Tucson, Ariz., for his first victory on the 50-and-over tour. He tied for 12th the following week in the PGA Tour’s Valspar Championship, opposite the senior event in California that Vijay Singh won for his first senior title.
Stricker played the front nine in 1-under, with birdies at the par-5 first and sixth and a bogey at the par-4 fourth. He birdied the par-4 10th, bogeyed the par4 11th, and put away the tournament with birdies at 12, 13 and 15.
The Wisconsin native has seven top-three finishes in nine career senior starts. He’s playing the PGA Tour event in Houston next week, needing a victory to get into the Masters Andrade closed with a 69. “We just need Steve to stay on the regular tour,” he joked.
Gene Sauers (66), Scott Parel (67), Jesper Parnevik (68) and David McKenzie (69) tied for third at 7-under.
Ji draws ace
Eun-Hee Ji had a hole-in-one on the 14th hole to pull away from Cristie Kerr and other challengers at the Kia Classic in Carlsbad, Calif.
Her lead cut from 4 strokes to 1, Ji aced the 152-yard 14th with a 7-iron, the ball bouncing and rolling into the hole, to push her advantage to 3 shots.
“Soon as I saw the ball fly, (I thought), ‘That’s going to be good,’” Ji said.
Ji finished with a 5-under 67 at Aviara for a 2-stroke victory ahead of Kerr and Lizette Salas in the final event before the major ANA Inspiration next week at Mission Hills.
Ji finished at 16-under 272. The 31-year-old South Korean earned $270,000 and two Kia cars.
Kerr closed with a 68.
Garnett dominates
Brice Garnett completed a wire-to-wire victory at the Corales Puntacana Resort and Club Championship in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, for his first PGA Tour title.
Two strokes ahead after three late wind-blown bogeys Saturday, Garnett closed with a 2-under 70 in windy and rainy conditions for a 4-stroke victory ahead of Keith Mitchell.
The 34-year-old Garnett finished at 18-under 270.