Exhausted Stricker can’t afford to slow down now

SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. – Two spectators were talking about Steve Stricker as he putted on the third green Sunday in the final round of the U.S. Open.

“He looks like he’s 30, not 50,” one said.

“I haven’t looked that good since I was 12 years old,” said the other. "He's in great shape."

Told of those comments after he posted an even-par 70, the 51-year-old Stricker laughed and said, “I feel like I’m 50. I feel tired. I’m worn out. I need a couple days off to get ready for next week.”

Stricker, of Madison, Wis., is host of the American Family Insurance Championship, a PGA Tour Champions event that begins Friday at University Ridge Golf Course in Madison.

In the span of 14 days, he survived 36hole sectional qualifying for the U.S. Open, tied for 18th at the FedEx St. Jude Classic and tied for 20th at Shinnecock Hills, but he said he wouldn’t have any trouble finding energy for the AmFam.

“I’ll be good,” he said. “I’ll be fine. I don’t have to do much the next couple days and then I’ll have to play in both pro-ams (Wednesday and Thursday). I’ll go to the (REO Speedwagon) concert and we have a pairings draw party Tuesday night, but that’s all fun stuff.”

Stricker extended some impressive streaks at the U.S. Open. He made his 11th consecutive cut in the championship and his 27th consecutive cut in a major, the longest current streak on the PGA Tour.

He finished in the top 25 in the Open for the 13th time in his career and the sixth consecutive time since 2010 (he didn’t play in the championship in 2015 or ’16).

Asked if playing 54 holes in a no-cut event at University Ridge would be a walk in the park compared with Shinnecock Hills, Stricker said, “It’s still golf. You still have to hit it in the fairway, knock it on the green and make some putts. It won’t be as hard as this but still you’ve got to pay attention going around there and you can’t get sloppy.”