Stricker’s streak now at 8 years
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 3woods that led to easy birdies, and Stricker shot a 1-under 70 that will allow him to make the cut. That means Stricker, 50, now has 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 3wood 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.
Tiger Woods went nine years in a row making the cut — 38 consecutive majors dating to the 1996 Masters — though he played all four of them each year. Stricker was quite satisfied making his 26th cut in a row.
Charlotte Connection
Kevin Kisner was born in Aiken, S.C., and now lives off the 17th fairway at Palmetto Golf Club. But he has reason to feel like a hometown favorite at Quail Hollow.
His parents grew up in Charlotte, so this was almost a second home when Kisner was growing up.
“I’ve spent every Thanksgiving and Christmas in Charlotte from childhood to marriage,” he said. “Been here a ton. Got a lot of ties to Quail Hollow — brother-inlaw’s father is a founding member here. We’ve spent a lot of time in Charlotte. My 93-year-old grandmother still lives here by herself.”
Green Mile
The closing stretch at Quail Hollow punished D.A. Points in the second round. He was 5 under, at the time just one shot off the lead, when he came to the 16th hole. Two holes and two double bogeys later, Points tumbled down the leader board.
On the 16th, he drove into the left rough and played out too far to the right, leaving him a bad angle. He hit wedge to 25 feet, but rolled the downhill putt about 6 feet by and missed that one coming back. And then he headed to the par-3 17th, which played only 177 yards because of the front pin and hit his tee shot into the water.