At daughter's urging, Stricker aims for a return trip to Hawaii
By Helen Ross, PGATOUR.com Chief of Correspondents
KAPALUA, Hawaii -- Bobbi Stricker is a happy young lady this week.
| Insider the Numbers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stricker thru 54 holes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
The precocious 9-year-old -- the same one who turned her back to the TV every time her father lined up a putt as the pressure mounted during the final round of The Barclays last summer -- finally got to go back to Maui.
Bobbi was 3 the last time her daddy Steve won a tournament and punched his ticket to the Mercedes-Benz Championship. She wanted to go back to the islands so much that once, when she won a junior event, Bobbi made a sign that said: "At last we get to go to Hawaii."
With his victory at Westchester Country Club last summer, though, the elder Stricker made sure the family would get to trade Wisconsin's snow for the whitecaps of the Pacific Ocean as the 2008 PGA TOUR season began.
And he's in position to make sure Bobbi gets to make another visit to Maui next January -- starting Sunday's final round at 9 under, four strokes off the lead held by Mike Weir, after shooting 68 in the third round on the Plantation Course.
"It's just been great," Stricker said. "It's been six years since I've been here. You know, you wonder if you're ever going to win again, whether you're ever going to get back here again.
"I have my daughter at home thinking as soon as I win we get to go to Hawaii, so there's a little bit of pressure there trying to win so we can come over and play and participate in this.
"It's been a lot of fun, and you definitely want to make this your first tournament of the year every year if it's possible. It's a great place to start the year."
Don't look for Stricker to start 2009 as the PGA TOUR's Comeback Player of the Year for the third straight season, though. He's come way too far for that.
The man who had to write for sponsor's exemptions in 2005 methodically rebuilt his swing, doggedly hitting balls into the snow from the confines of a heated, three-sided trailer. He came up with seven top-10s the following year and nine in 2007.
His comeback was complete -- for the second year -- when he finished second to the game's No. 1 player, Tiger Woods, in the inaugural FedExCup on the strength of his win at The Barclays and two other top-10s in the Playoffs. And Stricker, who played in his second Presidents Cup last September, has come to Maui ready to build on that momentum and contend again.
"I didn't think about coming here and having just a good time, which I am having a good time, but I wanted to put a little more emphasis on trying to get off to a good start this year and trying to get in contention this first week of the year," he said.
"You know, I still haven't practiced after the rounds and stuff like that, where you just go back and spend the time with the family and everything, but I really came here looking to try to get in contention this first week and to try to get a win."
Stricker has improved with every round on the Plantation Course at Kapalua Resort. He was even par through 13 holes of his second round, but Stricker has made 10 birdies and just one bogey over the next 14 to vault into a tie for sixth on the crowded leaderboard.
"It's going to take a real low one to catch him," Stricker said of Weir. "But it's out there. If you can get off to a good start around here, there's some low scores to be had. I think the key, especially for me tomorrow, is to get off to a good start and get under par early.
"Like you said, too, there's a lot of guys that have an opportunity tomorrow."
Maybe that will bring Bobbi, her 19-month-old sister Isabella and their mother Nicki out to the picturesque Plantation Course a little earlier on Sunday. They've been spending most of their time at the beach -- "which I can't blame them," Stricker said.
"The course is hard enough to walk as it is. You know, it's nice that they just come out for that last half a hole to see me finish, I guess."
Bet they wouldn't mind staying around for a trophy presentation, though.
Get the best deals on the best equipment all at the SHOP.PGATOUR.COM.
TOP 100
PGATOUR.com is part of the Turner Sports and Entertainment Digital Network