Inside the Ropes: Abbreviated schedule suits Stricker

Inside the Ropes: Abbreviated schedule suits Stricker









Tom LaMarre, The Sports Xchange July 7, 2013 11:30 PMThe SportsXchange


For Steve Stricker, the John Deere Classic this week probably will be one of his four majors in a season that's shaping up as semi-retirement.



That's because he's not playing in the 142nd Open Championship at Muirfield.



When Stricker, 46, announced his abbreviated schedule at the start of the year, he said was tired of all the travel and would play only the majors and the three World Golf Championships that are contested in the United States.



Stricker probably doesn't believe he is missing much of a chance to claim his elusive first major title because a tie for seventh in 2008 at Royal Birkdale and a tie for eighth in 2007 at Carnoustie are his only top-10 finishes in 13 appearances at the oldest championship in the world.



"It's always fun to come here," Stricker said last year at TPC Deere Run, which is less than a three-hour drive from his home in Madison, Wis. He also is a University of Illinois alumnus. "And I get a lot of support here, and (I've) kind of been adopted by the local community here as one of their own.




The John Deere will be Stricker's eighth tournament of the season, so if he sticks with his plan to play only 11 events, he has the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, the PGA Championship and one other start remaining this season.



The chances of his playing in the fall seem slim because he has an elk hunting trip scheduled for September.



"Golf is not the thing in my life as it once was. That was the reason why I scaled back. So I'm excited to go home. I'm excited to do some different things at home and get some time away again and ... (be) ready to play when I come back."



In addition, he has created a charitable foundation with the help of American Family Insurance that also keeps him busy.



"What I told Nicki was if I could just make enough money to pay our yearly expenses as a family, I'm fine with that," said Stricker, who has earned $2,187,146 on the PGA Tour this season, plus endorsement money.



I wanted to not have it be about me anymore."



Stricker was tied for second, one stroke out of the lead, headed to the final round in the U.S. Open at Merion before he hit two balls out of bounds on the second hole and carded a triple-bogey 8. He wound up with a 6-over-par 76 that left him in a tie for eighth.



"Not the (Sunday) start I was looking for. I felt good, felt relaxed. I was excited for the day. Just the nature of the game, I guess. It puts you in your place rather quickly at times. I'm not over this yet, but it won't take me long."