Steve Stricker

Steven Charles Stricker (born February 23, 1967) is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. He has won 12 tournaments on the PGA Tour including the 2001 WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship and two FedEx Cup playoff events. His most successful season on tour came in 2009, when he had three tournament victories and finished second on the money list. He has ranked as high as No 2 in the Official World Golf Ranking. He spent 57 consecutive weeks in the world top-10 from August 26, 2007 to September 21, 2008, was there for a further 157 consecutive weeks from May 31, 2009 to May 26, 2012, and has a total of 253 weeks in the top-10.

Early life

Stricker was born in Edgerton, Wisconsin. He grew up playing golf at both Lake Ripley Country Club in nearby Cambridge and at the Edgerton Towne Country Club in Edgerton. A 1990 graduate of the University of Illinois, Stricker earned All-American honors as a member of the golf team in 1988 and 1989.

Professional career

Stricker turned professional in 1990, and began his career on the Canadian Professional Golf Tour, where he won two tournaments. He joined the PGA Tour in 1994. His first success at the top level came in 1996, when Stricker notched two victories (Kemper Open, Motorola Western Open) and seven top ten finishes on his way to finishing fourth on the 1996 PGA Tour money list.