Stricker’s Performance Highlight of President’s Cup
Steve Stricker has been paired with Tiger Woods for all four sessions of the 2009 President’s Cup where they have accrued a record of 4-0. However, Stricker hasn’t settled for just playing a backup role to Tiger. Stricker has been consistently solid throughout the President’s Cup until the second session on Saturday – where he took over the match and was dominant.
In the most intriguing match of the session, Stricker and Woods were paired against Ishikawa and Yang, who had also gone 3-0 in the first three sessions of the competition. The match was all square for the first two holes. On the third hole, Stricker birdied to give the U.S. a 1-up lead. However, on the very next hole the International team got the match back to all square.
It is at this point that Stricker took over the match. He birdied six of the next eight holes to put the U.S. team 6-up after 12 holes. Stricker seemed to have everything clicking – hitting fairways, great iron play and making putts. And it was clearly one of the best individual performances of President’s Cup history.
In the later stages of the match, Ishikawa and Yang put together a run by taking the 13th, 14th and 15th holes, but Woods closed the door on the 16th with a great 2nd shot (hole was conceded). Stricker and Woods ended up winning the match easily 4 and 2. For Stricker, he again proved that he belongs in the conversation as one of the premiere players on tour.