Steve Stricker Wins Northern Trust Open

Sports News - February 8th, 2010 - Written By John Ritter

Steve Stricker entered the final round of the Northern Trust Open with a comfortable lead, and ended it by doing all he could to hang on.

Rather then stick to his game plan that allowed him to build the lead through the first three rounds of the tournament, Stricker elected to play conservatively. His six-shot lead dwindled down to two, but by the close of Sunday, Stricker finished with the win at Riviera Country Club, and now moves into the second slot in the world golf rankings.

"I just knew it was going to be hard," Stricker said in his post-round interview following the victory. "You're playing a different game than what you normally play. You played scared -- at least I did there for a while."

His first several holes saw Stricker fire away from flags to the big part of the greens, despite being in positions where he would have been able to fire at the flag. He navigated his way through the first eight holes without making a birdie, but made two critical putts on the 9th and 10th holes to help his round.

It is Stricker's fifth win on tour in three years. It is a phenomenal feat considering that five years ago, he was ranked 327th in the world and had to earn back his tour card.

"It's a great testament to his will," remarked Luke Donald, who finished in the runner-up position on Sunday. "... It's a tough game mentally when you're not playing well, and to break that and come back and be where he is right now, that's great going. He's obviously found it, and he's worked hard, and he has a lot of belief in himself now."

He added.

"I think Steve is the nicest guy in the world, too."

Donald was the only player capable of catching Stricker throughout the course of the round, but was not able to convert enough birdie opportunities. He began on the first tee playing aggressive, and closed the day with a 66.

"If I got really hot with the putter, I could have maybe caught Steve," Donald said. "He played nicely coming down the stretch, and I think he was a deserved winner. But at least I gave him a little run for his money."

Dustin Johnson began Saturday tied atop with Stricker, but a 74 saw him fall out of the lead entering the final round. Johnson played a solid round on Sunday and climbed within three shots of the lead, finishing in a tie for third place. He equaled Donald's mark of 66.

Phil Mickelson was vying for a third consecutive Northern Trust Open title, but was never able to give himself enough opportunities to be in contention. He finished 14 shots behind Stricker and surrendered his second spot in the world rankings.

Online Sportsbooks believed that it was a mere formality that Stricker would collect the victory. Prior to the start of the round, he was installed as a 2/9 favorite to claim the trophy, according to PGA Betting Lines.