Stricker creates some noise
He fires a 3-under 69 in third round
TOWN OF ERIN - It’s been easy to find Madison native Steve Stricker at Erin Hills over the past few days — just follow the crowds. On Saturday, though, there really was no missing Stricker.
His gallery was not only vast, but it was loud as Stricker gave them plenty to cheer about.
After shooting 1-over par during the first two days to squeak past the cut line, Stricker tallied five birdies Saturday to double his birdie total for the tournament. He carded a 69 to move up to 2-under heading into the final round.
“It’s good to get a good round under my belt,” Stricker said. “I hadn’t broken par here, so it’s nice to have done that. Tomorrow, from what I understand, is going to be a lot windier and probably more difficult.”
The crowd got activated early when Stricker sank a 15foot birdie putt on the second hole. He then bounced back from a bogey on No. 3 with a birdie on No. 5 thanks in large part to a 222-yard second shot that settled 7 feet from the hole.
He saved his best for the back-9, though, sinking three birdies in four holes on Nos. 14, 15 and 17. The last of the three was his most impressive of the day as he made a 27-foot putt that sent cheers echoing across the grounds.
Those were followed in short order by another ovation along the 18th fairway that Stricker called “unbelievable.” While he wasn’t pleased with his threeputt bogey to finish his round, Stricker couldn’t say enough about the favorable crowd.
“I’ve been feeding off of them all week,” Stricker said of the crowd. “I really haven’t felt the pressure like I used to in the early days when I used to come and play in Wisconsin. I feel way more relaxed. I feel like I don’t have anything to prove anymore. I’m just out here to have fun and try to play well.
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m a little more nervous and I want to play well, but I’ve taken on a different attitude about it. I enjoy it a lot more.”
While Stricker was making his move, fellow Wisconsin native Jordan Niebrugge of Mequon spent much of his day scrambling. He finished with a 1-over 73 to move to 2-over for the tournament, which is fairly impressive considering some of the shots he had to make.
“Today was a little bit of a grind,” Niebrugge said. “We had fun, but on the back we hit a lot of different shots.” Fun is one way of putting it. On the par 5 14th, Niebrugge pushed his tee shot into the right rough. He hacked it out — directly into a bunker 60 yards away. His shot out of the bunker dropped on the fairway 60 yards closer to the hole, but still 210 yards to the pin.
That’s when things got fun for the 23-year-old. His approach shot landed near the top of the sloping green and slowly started to trickle down. As it rolled it picked up speed and the crowd began to roar. Niebrugge couldn’t see anything, but he knew something good was happening, even when the folks in and around the grandstand groaned as the ball trickled by the cup.
Ultimately, it settled 6 inches from the hole and Niebrugge saved par.
The adventures continued on the next hole as Niebrugge pulled his tee shot wide of the green and hit someone in the gallery. Lucky for Niebrugge, the ball settled in a favorable spot by the grandstand between the 15th green and the tee box for No. 16.
Again with the odds against him and surrounded by a cluster of people, Niebrugge chipped onto the green about 12 feet from the pin. He missed his birdie putt — his lone birdie of the day would come on No. 17 — but saved par in incredible fashion for the second straight hole.
While their scores will make it tough to catch the leaders Sunday, Stricker and Niebrugge are looking forward to one more chance at playing in front of the home-state crowd. For Stricker, who hadn’t considered that Sunday is Father’s Day, the final round represents a chance to play with his wife, Nicki, as his caddie and his kids walking the course with him.
For Niebrugge, sharing the day with his father is something he’s been thinking about since he qualified for his first U.S. Open on June 5.
“It will be pretty awesome coming off the 18th green and getting a hug from him,” Niebrugge said. “He doesn’t really like hugs, but I think he’ll get one tomorrow.”