Stricker, 51, came through Sunday in the Cologuard Classic a year after hitting left into the water on 18 to blow a chance for a victory in his senior debut, and a day after another 3-wood drive rolled into the water in a closing double bogey.
The 12-time PGA Tour winner birdied the par-5 15th and closed with three pars for a 4-under 69, hitting another 3-wood on the par-4 18th. He finished two strokes ahead of fellow Madison, Wisconsin, player Jerry Kelly (65), Gene Sauers (70) and Scott Dunlap (71).
Stricker finished at 14-under 205 after opening with rounds of 6 and 70. He won in his eighth start on the 50-and-over tour. He has six top three-finishes, tying for second two weeks ago in Florida in the Chubb Classic. He was second in Tucson behind Tin Lehman last year, losing a two-shot lead on the final three holes.
Tiger chats with Douglas High student
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Tiger Woods took time before The Honda Classic to meet with a student from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, one week after 17 people were killed in a shooting at the school.
Woods signed a hat for the student, Kyle Shanahan, after learning that he was volunteering at the tournament.
“I thought, ‘Oh my God, I’m getting this signed by Tiger Woods.’ It really felt like he talked from the heart,” Shanahan, a sophomore, told local CBS affiliate WPEC. “It didn’t feel scripted. It felt like it really came from him being sincere and saying, ‘I’m really sorry that you’re going through this.’ It made me feel awesome.”
Shanahan, who’s been a Honda Classic volunteer for several years, also got a picture with defending champion Rickie Fowler. The tournament’s venue, PGA National, is about an hour north of Stoneman Douglas High School.
Woods’ caddie, Joe LaCava, learned that one of the school’s students was at the event. He told Woods, who called Shanahan over on the driving range.
“Meeting him brings you right back to reality, thinking about what he has to deal with and what he’s seen and things he has to deal with the rest of his life,” Woods told USA Today. “It’s humbling that he wanted to meet me. But he was out here, wanting to get away from it, wanting to enjoy it, and it was nice to be able to help him enjoy being out here. When he leaves here, leaves the golf course, he has to go back to a pretty harsh reality.”