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Garcia ends major drought, Stricker closes strong

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Steve Stricker

Sergio Garcia can no longer be called one of the best golfers to not have won a major.  Garcia missed a chance to win the 81st Masters in regulation, then birdied the 18th hole in a one-hole playoff to beat Justin Rose.

The 37-year-old Garcia shot a final-round 69 and finished with a 9-under-par 279 total, winning the $1.98 million top prize.  After 73 majors, Garcia got the monkey off of his back to win.

It didn’t come easy though.  Garcia had bogeys on holes 10 and 11 and had to scramble for a par on the par-5 13th

Garcia then birdied number-14 to pull to within a shot.  He eagled the par-5 15th to pull into a tie with Rose. [Read more…]

Stricker ready for his 16th Masters

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Steve Stricker

Madison’s Steve Stricker enters the 2017 Masters today as the oldest player (50 years old) in the 94-player field.

Stricker is playing in his 16th Masters and 68th major overall, but the Masters has been a tough nut to crack.  Stricker has a pair of top-10 finishes at Augusta, but he’s broken 70 in just one of his previous 25 rounds there.

With the wind blowing hard for the first two rounds, especially in the afternoon, Stricker will tee off at 11:57 this morning and 8:39 a.m. on Friday.

Stricker is a 12-time winner on the PGA Tour and has started playing Champions Tour events for the first time this year.  He’s never won a green jacket and time is most likely running out.

Stricker will captain the 2017 Presidents Cup team later this fall.

 

Watson wins second green jacket, Stricker struggles

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Bubba Watson won his second green jacket in the last three years on Sunday, firing a final round 3-under par 69 to beat Jordan Spieth and Jonas Blixt by three shots.

Watson finished at 8-under-par 280 and earned more than $1.6 million for the win.  After his win, he spent time high-fiving fans around the 18th green before making his way to the clubhouse.

Spieth had a two-shot lead after seven holes but shot a 37 on the back nine to finish with an even par 72.  When Spieth needed to make putts, he failed, subsequently never really pushing Watson down the stretch. [Read more…]

Watson leads Masters at midway point, Stricker still alive

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Bubba Watson fired a 4-under-par 68 in Friday’s second round of the 78th Masters and heads to the weekend with a 3-stroke

Steve Stricker

Steve Stricker

advantage over John Senden.

Watson won the Masters in 2012, while Senden has never finished higher than 35th.

After only three top 10 finishes a year ago, Watson already has four in 2014, including a victory in the Northern Trust Open.

Watson has been good off the tee and even better in hitting greens.  He birdied five straight holes on Friday, holes 12 through 16.

AUDIO: Watson said it’s all about hitting greens :10

After Senden, four players are 4-shots behind Watson, including defending Masters champion Adam Scott, who shot an even par 72 on Friday.  The others, Thomas Bjorn, Jonas Blixt and Jordan Spieth.

What speaks even louder is the list of players that didn’t make the cut.  Tiger Woods isn’t playing this week because of back surgery.  He’ll be joined on the sidelines by Phil Mickelson, who missed the cut for the first time in 17 years and just the second time in 22 Masters starts. [Read more…]

Stricker opens Master swith even par 72

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Madison’s Steve Stricker got off to a good start on Day 1 at the Masters,

Steve Stricker

Steve Stricker

playing the first 10-holes at 3-under par.  But Stricker had a few hiccups after that point and he needed to sink a 25-foot bogey putt to save an even par 72.

Still, the 47-year-old Stricker is only 4-shots behind leader Bill Haas, who shot a 4-under par 68 and finished day one with a 1-shot lead over defending champion Adam Scott and 2012 champion Bubba Watson.

Niebrugge struggles

Mequon amateur Jordan Niebrugge’s first ever round at the Masters had plenty of tough luck.  He shot a 9-over-par 81, with a lot of close misses. [Read more…]

The Masters moves on without Tiger

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The 2014 Masters opens play at Augusta National on Thursday without

Steve Stricker

Steve Stricker

world number-1 Tiger Woods.

Woods first played at the Masters back in 1995 and has been a huge ratings draw ever since.  He’s won four green jackets and finished in the top 10 nine other times.

But Woods won’t be at Augusta this week after undergoing back surgery.  Some claim that there’s so much young talent on the PGA Tour now that golf can get along if Tiger Woods isn’t around.  Others feel there’s a big void without golf’s biggest name.  Among them is Madison’s Steve Stricker who has drawn close to Woods, with the two playing several Ryder Cup events together.

AUDIO: Steve Stricker on not having Tiger around :20

It wasn’t long after Woods revealed that he would miss the Masters, that resale ticket prices dropped significantly.  Stubhub saw a decrease of up to 25% for many of its tickets. [Read more…]

Stricker loses momentum and shot at his 1st major (Masters Recap)

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Adam Scott became the first Australian to win the Masters, beating Angel Cabrera in a playoff on a rainy Sunday at Augusta.

Scott holed a 12-foot birdie putt to pull out the win.  Cabrera almost pulled out his third Major title, but his birdie try on the first extra hole just missed the cup.

Scott claimed his first Major victory, closing with a 3-under 69 for a 9-under total in becoming the first Australian to win the event.

Fellow Australian Jason Day had the lead until he bogeyed the 16th and 17th holes.  He had birdied 13, 14 and 15 to take the lead at 9-under par. [Read more…]

Masters not kind to Wisconsin golfers

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Mark Wilson failed to make the Friday cut at the Masters and Madison’s Steve Stricker also struggled to a 47th place finish at Augusta yesterday.

Stricker shot a final round 3-over par 75 to finish 7-over par for the tournament. 

Stricker birdied the 2nd and 10th holes on Sunday, but bogeyed 12 and finished with three straight bogeys.

Bubba Watson won his first green jacket, beating Louis Oosthuizen on both a second playoff hole.  Watson put his tee shot in the pines, then hooked his ball onto the 10th green and 2-putted for the 1-shot win  It’s Watson’s 4th win on tour and his first major.

Masters Update!

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Two Wisconsin golfers are in the clubhouse, finished with their first rounds at The Masters, golf’s first major of the season. 

Jerry Kelly fired an opening round 2-over par 74 and Mark Wilson just finished his opening round, going 4-over par with a 76.

Steve Stricker’s first round is just underway.  He’s at even par through 5 holes.

Rory McIlroy is the leader at 7-under par 65.  Retief Goosen is 2-shots back at 5-under par through 16 holes.  Matt Kuchar is at 4-under par through 14 holes, 3-shots off the lead.