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Kelly captures Champions tour major

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Jerry Kelly – Photo Courtesy of PGATour.com

Madison’s Jerry Kelly collected a hole-in-one on the 12th hole on Sunday, propelling himself to a 2-shot victory at the Bridgestone Senior Players Championship in Akron, Ohio.

It’s Kelly’s first major victory on the PGA Tour Champions.  Scott Parel finished second, but moved to the top of the Charles Schwab Cup standings.  The two were the only players to finish under par for the week.

Kelly pockets $450,000 for the win.  It earned him a spot in The Players Championship next March and gets him a five-year exemption into the PGA Tour Champions’ season opener on the Big Island in Hawaii.

The win was the first of the year for Kelly and his seventh since turning 50 to become eligible for the PGA Tour Champions back in 2017.

Madison’s Steve Stricker shot a final round 5-over par 75 to finish 12 shots back.  After a two-under 68 in Thursday’s opening round, Stricker failed to break par the rest of the way, shooting a pair of 73’s on Friday and Saturday before closing with the 75.

 

Stricker, Kelly tied for the lead at Senior Players Championship

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Madison’s Steve Stricker and Jerry Kelly are tied with three others for the lead after the first round of the Bridgestone Senior Players Championship in Akron, Ohio.

Stricker birdied the final hole for a 2-under 68, joining Kelly, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Wes Short Jr. and Rod Pampling atop the leaderboard.

All five leaders, along with Paul Broadhurst (1-under 69), are the only golfers to break par.

 

Report: Ryder Cup set to be postponed until 2021

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According to The Guardian, the 2020 Ryder Cup, which was scheduled for Sept. 25-27 at Whistling Straits in Haven, Wis., will be postponed until 2021.

The report says an announcement is expected to make it official early next week.  The article said health and safety concerns around the coronavirus, and the fact that holding a spectator-less Ryder Cup was “never a serious option.

The PGA Tour of America was optimistic that the event could be held with fans, but as time has gone by, that has become less and less of a possibility.  Not being able to hold the event fans has sent the event back to the drawing board.

Recently, players like Rory McIlroy and Brooks Koepka among others, have stated that the Ryder Cup should be postponed if fans can’t attend.  Koepka has gone as far as saying he would skip the event if fans aren’t allowed in.

Wisconsin native Steve Stricker is the captain of the U.S. squad.  He competed in the Ryder Cup three times as a player.

The Ryder Cup was postponed once before, after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

Stricker to have more captains picks for Ryder Cup

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Steve Stricker

The COVID-19 pandemic is forcing the PGA of America to change the way they select the U.S. Ryder Cup team in 2020.

Previously, the top eight players were placed on the team based on a points system, with the final four spots on the U.S. roster to be decided by the team’s captain.

But instead of the customary four players chosen by the team captain to fill out the roster, Madison’s Steve Stricker will be forced to make six selections, an crease of two more players.

In a release, U.S. Ryder Cup Captain Steve Stricker said, “After many deliberate discussions, we collectively [Read more…]

Stricker adds two more vice captains to U.S. Ryder Cup team

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Steve Stricker

United States Ryder Cup captain Steve Stricker announced Monday that he has selected Davis Love III and Zach Johnson as vice captains for the U.S. Ryder Cup team.  The U.S. team will face Europe on Sept. 25-27 at Whistling Straits.

Love and Johnson join Jim Furyk as U.S. vice captains.  Stricker will announce one more vice captain before the tournament.  Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Tom Lehman are potential candidates.

Stricker, Furyk and Johnson all played for Love and the 2012 U.S. team at Medinah Country Club.  Stricker and Furyk also served as vice captains under Love on the victorious 2016 U.S. team at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Minnesota.

 

43rd Ryder Cup stays put while golf schedule sees several other changes

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Whistling Straights

While there’s a number of changes ahead with regards to golf events, the 43rd Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits will remain on the same dates, Sept. 25-27.  Other events weren’t quite as fortunate, facing changes due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The British Open has been canceled for 2020 and the other three men’s major championships have moved to late summer and fall.  The announcements came via news release issued jointly Monday by the world’s major golf organizations.

The PGA Championship, scheduled for May 14-17 at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco will now be held August 6-9.  The U.S. Open, previously set for June 18-21 has been moved to Sept. 17-20 and will remain at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, New York.

The Masters Tournament has been moved to Nov. 12-15 at Augusta National Golf Club.

The Royal & Ancient decided to cancel the Open Championship in 2020 and will be played at Royal St. George’s in 2021.

The Ryder Cup will immediately follow the U.S. Open.  Madison’s Steve Stricker will captain the U.S. squad.

Stricker won’t get the chance to defend his U.S. Senior Open title.  The U.S. Golf Association canceled that championship for 2020.  Stricker won the 2019 U.S. Senior Open by six strokes at Warren Golf Course in South Bend, Indiana.

The U.S. Senior Women’s Open has also been cancelled.

Another record year for American Family Insurance Championship

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Jack Salzwedel – Steve Stricker – Nicki Stricker

The 2019 American Family Insurance Championship raised a record $2.4 million for charity.  In its fourth year, the 2019 event raised a record $2,404,000, an increase of $337,000 (21 percent) over 2018.

It brings the total amount raised for charity since the inaugural event in 2016 to $7,185,000.

Half of the 2019 proceeds will be distributed to the American Family Children’s Hospital in Madison, Wisconsin.  Nearly 100 other primarily local charities will share the remaining $1.2 million in varying amounts.

The grand total raised and charitable organization recipients were revealed at an event on Wednesday at the American Family Insurance corporate headquarters.  The event featured championship host/player Steve Stricker, his wife, Nicki, American Family Insurance Chair and CEO Jack Salzwedel, numerous tournament sponsors, and volunteers.

The fourth annual American Family Insurance Championship was held in June at University Ridge Golf Course in Madison.  More than 70,000 spectators from 32 states attended during the three days of tournament play.

Next year’s event will be held earlier than previous years with the three day tournament running from June 5-7.  Madison’s Jerry Kelly will return as defending champion and Stricker will play in the tournament for the fourth time.

 

Kelly wins on PGA Tour Champions

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Jerry Kelly – File Photo

Jerry Kelly played bogey-free golf on Sunday, closing with a 4-under-par 68, posting a 2-shot victory in the Ally Challenge in Grand Blanc, Michigan.  It’s the second victory of the year for the Madison native, drawing him closer to Schwab Cup leader Scott McCarron.

Kelly had a pair of birdies on the front nine, and he took control on the back nine, making his final birdie on the par-3 17th.  Woody Austin shot a final round 69 to finish along in second place.

Kelly also won two months ago, capturing the American Family Insurance Championship at University Ridge in Madison.  He becomes the fourth multiple winner this year on the PGA Tour Champions, joining McCarron (three wins), and Steve Stricker and Bernhard Langer (two each).

Kelly earned $300,000 for the win after finishing the tournament at 16-under par.

Fox Point’s Skip Kendall finished tied for 48th.

 

Stricker has first day lead at Senior Championship

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Steve Stricker

Madison’s Steve Stricker has the first round lead at the Bridgestone Senior Players Championship.  Stricker was at 5-under-par through 17 holes when play was suspended by rain and lightning for the day.

Stricker’s opening round included a hole-in-one on the 184-yard, par-3 seventh at Firestone Country Club.  He was in the middle of the 18th fairway when play was stopped.  He’ll resume play at 7 a.m. Friday morning.

Stricker is seeking his third straight major victory on the PGA Tour Champions after winning the Regions Tradition and then the U.S. Senior Open.

Paul Goydos was second at 2-under after five holes.  Madison’s Jerry Kelly was one over after six holes.

PGA Tour

Roberto Diaz fired a 9-under 62 to take the first-round lead in the John Deere Classic in Silvis, Illinois.  Adam Long and Russell Henley are two strokes back.

 

Stricker dominates for U.S. Senior Open win

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Steve Stricker (File Photo) – Copyright USGA – John Gress

Madison’s Steve Stricker shot a final round 1-under 69 to post a six-shot win over Jerry Kelly and David Thomas to win the U.S. Senior Open Championship in South Bend, Indiana on Sunday.

Stricker finished at 19-under 261, breaking Kenny Perry’s U.S. Senior Open record by three strokes.

It’s the second PGA Champions Tour major victory of the season for Stricker.  He earlier won the Regions Tradition in May by six strokes.

Just a week ago, Stricker lost the American Family Insurance Championship in a playoff to Kelly.  Sunday, he got a little bit of revenge against his long time friend.

Stricker shared the first round lead with Toms after a record-tying 62.  He pulled away on day two and nobody could stay with him.

Stricker earned $720,000 for the win, but even more importantly, he earned a spot in next year’s U.S. Open at Winged Foot, where he tied for sixth back in 2006.