Sunday Sun Shines on Stricker

He Takes Conservative Route to Northern Trust Title at Riviera

Starting the final round of a golf tournament with a six-stroke lead is sort of like a double-edged sword. You are glad to have it, but all the pressure is squarely on you to close the deal. That is precisely the scenario Steve Stricker faced last Sunday at Riviera Country Club and, in the end, it took nearly all of the cushion he had built and all of his steely nerve to ward off every challenge and win his first Northern Trust Open. Stricker held a two-shot lead with two holes to go last year, only to bogey the 18th and lose by one to Phil Mickelson. It appeared history might repeat itself Sunday when Stricker, who had been so accurate all week, suddenly started missing fairways, leaving himself difficult shots from precarious spots on perhaps the most daunting course the PGA Tour has to offer. However, the 42-year-old from Madison, Wisconsin dug deep into his reservoir of will to produce his best golf when he needed it most, and that is why he left Pacific Palisades with the winner’s check of $1.152-million, 500 FedEx Cup points and the No. 2 ranking behind Tiger Woods. Sure, he could have thrown caution to the wind and gone after the tournament scoring record of 264 set by Lanny Watkins back in 1985, but Stricker chose the conservative route and, given his disappointment 12 months earlier, who could blame him? He played the final 18 holes in 1 under par, good enough for a two-stroke victory over Britain’s Luke Donald, who finished 14-under. Dustin Johnson, who shot a 74 Saturday to fall out of the lead, closed with a 66 to tie for third with J.B. Holmes at -13, three back of the winner. “It wasn’t easy, it was hard,” Stricker said, wiping away tears of joy as he accepted the trophy. “It was a grind from the get-go.” Much of the pre-tournament attention was focused on Mickelson, who was trying to become the first player in the event’s 84-year history to win three years in a row. Although Lefty opted not to use his controversial Ping Eye 2 wedge, he was 8 shots back after a first-round 72 and was never a serious threat the last two days. “Well, I was three under [on the front nine] and had a good round going,” said Mickelson, who credits Hall-of-Famer Amy Alcott, a Riviera CC member and Palisadian, for providing tips to help him win here for the first time here in 2008 and repeat last February. “Another birdie here or there and I’m right in this thing, instead I ended up with four bogeys coming in.” Johnson, meanwhile, set the tone with an opening 64 (two off the course record set by Ted Tryba in 1999) to grab the early lead and his hole-in-one in the rain at the par-3 sixth on Friday kept him in the lead at the halfway point. Weather has played a factor at the tournament in recent years and this one was no exception. Despite heavy rains the first two days and early Saturday, play was suspended only twice–on Friday afternoon because of a downpour and Saturday evening on account of darkness. In fact, Stricker was on the 15th hole Saturday when the horn sounded, so he and 11 others still on the course had to complete the third round early Sunday morning. Fortunately, the legendary course off Capri Drive withstood all that mother nature was able to dish out and by tournament’s end the skies had cleared and the sun was shining on Stricker. “That one here last year still stings a little,” Stricker said after opening with a solid 4-under 67, just three behind Johnson. “That is one I felt I should’ve had but it’s nice to be back to make another run at this thing.” Donald, who was trying to become the second player from England to win the tournament (Nick Faldo won at Riviera in 1997), sat at 9-under through 54 holes, tied for second with J.B. Holmes, who wound up as the only man in the field of 132 to shoot four rounds in the 60s (68-69-67-67). Stricker missed a short par putt on the par-3 fourth and through five holes his seemingly safe lead had been whittled down to two shots by the 32-year-old Donald. “Yeah, I was feeling pretty good at that point,” Donald said afterwards in the media tent. “I got three quick birdies and I hit good shots at six and seven. If those putts went down things might have been different but give Steve credit’he did what he had to do.” Stricker birdied the eight and ninth, but the defining putt that sent Stricker on his way to his eighth career win was a tricky 10-footer for par at the 15th green. Perhaps he wanted to get to the clubhouse quickly to see the start of the Super Bowl, which kicked off shortly after the trophy presentation. Andres Romero, the 2008 PGA Rookie of the Year, tied for third last year and tied for fifth at 10-under this year. Ernie Els, champion here in 1998, shot a final round 68 to finish in a five-way tie for 10th at 8-under with Kevin Na, Jason Bohn, Alex Prugh and Kevin Stadler. Two-time winner and fan favorite Fred Couples finished well back at 3-under and Los Angeles native Anthony Kim finished at even par. Japan’s Ryo Ishikawa, who made his pro debut as a 17-year-old at Riviera a year ago but missed the cut, this time shot a final-round 72 to tie for 32nd at 4-under, his best result so far on the PGA Tour. Among the notable players who missed the cut were Padraig Harrington, Jesper Parnevik, Davis Love III, Vijay Singh, 2005 champion Adam Scott, 2007 champion Charles Howell III, 2003-04 champion Mike Weir, 2008 runner-up Jeff Quinney and U.S. Ryder Cup captain Corey Pavin, who won two straight Riviera titles in 1994-95. sports@palipost