golfwholesalerau 2012-01-12
Steve Stricker has become the first PGA Tour winner of the New year after he beat Scotland's Martin Laird by three-shots at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions in picturesque Maui, Hawaii.
Stricker went into the final round with a five-stroke advantage but started slowly making no birdies on the first seven holes and bogey at the par-four sixth. This allowed Laird, Jonathan Byrd and Webb Simpson to close the gap and put him under significant pressure but Stricker held his nerve, rediscovered his form and held on for the first PGA Tour win of 2012.
After winning the title Stricker spoke about the tournament in an interview with Sky Sports. Here he said, “It was tough but I never let up today. I'm very proud of what I have achieved here. I felt it kind of slipping away at the end of the round but I was patient. Frustrated but patient. The birdie at eight calmed me down quite a but and I played steady after that.”
This win marks a remarkable comeback for the 44-year old who looked like his PGA Tour career was in the balance. Just four months ago Stricker was forced to withdraw from the BMW Championship after a neck injury was restricting the movement in his left arm and it looked like going under the surgeon's knife was his only option. However, he decided against the surgery and opted for cortisone injections and an intensive course of physiotherapy and it seems to have paid off judging by this result.
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