Steve Stricker: Golf's New Smart Pick

Steve Stricker, a Wisconsin native who is every bit as comfortable sitting in a tree stand dressed in hunter's camouflage as he does hitting golf shots, sighted a coyote last week while touring Riviera Country Club outside Los Angeles during the PGA Tour's Northern Trust Open.

"We go hunting for those things all the time in Wisconsin," Stricker observed. "And that thing was about 30 yards away from me. We don't have them that dumb up there."

It would have been a great opportunity for Stricker to have suggested golf should wise up, too.After Sunday's final-round 70 and 16-under par finish earned the 42-year-old Stricker his fourth victory in 13 months, it's time to give him his due.

The world's best golfer actually playing golf is the unassuming Cheesehead with the unspectacular game. All he does is hit fairways, find greens and make putts. He's a wallflower in a game captivated by flash. But guess what?

Combined with a third-place finish at the Sony Open, Sunday's victory moves Stricker ahead of Phil Mickelson as the world's second-ranked player. And with Tiger Woods, at least for the present, a non factor, that makes Stricker golf's main man.

"We all know who the best player in the world is, and I went down that road when he came out on tour," Stricker said. "I've gotten down to just trying to do what I'm good at, and that's sometimes not the flashiest thing in the world. It may be grinding it out, making putts or getting it up-and-down, but it's my way, it's my style, I guess.

"But no, I mean, we all know who the best player in the world is, and I'll just continue to do what I do, and that's practice hard and work at it and try to improve. I'm not saying that I'm going to just not try to work at it anymore, but just continue to do the things that I do when I'm trying to -- and that's to try to get better. That's all I can ask."

Seldom has a golfer performed as well as Stricker has over the past two PGA Tour seasons and generated so little of a buzz, but the oversight is understandable if not expected.

Although Stricker won three times in 2009 (only the ninth player since 2000 to accomplish such a feat) and teamed with Woods to lead the United States to victory at the Presidents Cup, it was reasonable to wonder how long he could make the magic last.

Before last season's trophy haul, Stricker had four career wins, only one since 2000. During a four-season stretch between 2002 and 2005, he managed a combined three top-10 finishes.

At that point he was 337th in the world rankings. Now he's ... well, considerably better.
The world's best golfer actually playing golf is the unassuming Cheesehead with the unspectacular game.
"I never really set that goal when I was 337th," Stricker said. "But I did set goals to win again and just to work harder at my game, and to be in this position now is truly unbelievable.

"I would have never have dreamt -- I think if I would have set this goal back about six years ago, if I would have told anybody they would have said you're crazy. But I put a lot of hard work into it. You know, it just means a lot. I don't know what else to say, but I continue to do the things that I do. I put the time in. I've got a great family at home that supports what I do and allows me to work at it hard."

He'll turn 43 in a couple of weeks. At this rate, anything seems possible for the quality player and person.

"I think the biggest thing is, which no one can take away from you, is all that experience that you've gained throughout your career," Stricker said. "You know, you get a little bit older, you get a little bit wiser, you do things a little bit differently than you did when you were younger, and I think that's the biggest key is you just have all that experience to lean on."

Stricker propped himself up when he needed to Sunday, refusing to be tripped up down the stretch in the same event he finished second last year, one shot back of Mickelson after leading by two with two holes to play.

This time, beginning the weather-delayed final round with a six-shot lead, Stricker saw Luke Donald get within two after seven holes, but answered with birdies at Nos. 8 and 9. He played the final hole with a two-shot lead.

"The position I was in -- it was a good one," Stricker said. "I mean, a six-shot lead. But no matter -- if I don't win the tournament, you're going to be looked upon as the guy that didn't finish it off. Those thoughts run through your head, and the guys from behind, they have nothing to lose, and I knew that, too. They'd be firing at the flags."

Except, Stricker was smart enough not to hang around.