Steve was born in Wisconsin, 1967. In 1990 he graduated from the
University of Illinois and turned professional in the same year. He
started his professional career playing on the Canadian Pro Tour where
he won twice within quick succession. He then joined the PGA tour in
1994 and has a since recorded 9 career wins. He has also represented the
US twice in the Ryder Cup and three times in the Presidents Cup.
His first success at the top level came in 1996, when
Stricker notched two victories (Kemper Open,
Motorola Western Open) and seven top ten
finishes on his way to finishing fourth on the 1996 PGA Tour money list.
Stricker's third win came at the 2001 WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship,
where he defeated Pierre Fulke 2 and 1
in Australia,
to earn the $1,000,000 prize.
Stricker suffered a slump and lost his tour card in 2004 after several years of poor form. In 2006, relying on sponsor exemptions, he managed seven top-10 finishes and was voted PGA Tour Comeback Player of the Year. His renewed form continued throughout 2007, qualifying for the Presidents Cup and after his victory at The Barclays, Stricker reached a high
of 4th in the Official World Golf Rankings. Stricker finished runner-up in the 2007 FedEx Cup Playoffs to Tiger Woods. He was again voted PGA Tour Comeback Player of the Year in 2007. He was also inducted into the Wisconsin State Golf Association Hall of Fame in 2007.
Stricker won his fifth tournament on tour at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial
at the end of May 2009. This was helped when he chipped in on the penultimate
71st hole of the championship. In 2009 he won again the John Deere Classic in Silvis,
Illinois.
Stricker's third win of 2009 came in September at the Deutsche Bank Championship, the second of
four playoff events. It was Stricker's second FedEx Cup playoff win, a win that
also vaulted him ahead of Tiger Woods to the top of the FedEx Cup standings and vaulted him to
second in the Official World Golf Rankings.
In February 2010, Stricker won the 2010 Northern Trust Open and he followed that by winning the John Deere Classic at TPC at Deere Run in Silvis, Illinois in July 2010.
In 2011 Steve hit the World number three spot and is the latest in a long line of top golfers to assume the mantle of greatest never to win a major.
Sergio Garcia,
Colin Montgomerie and the two players ahead of him in the rankings -
Luke Donald and
Lee Westwood - have all earned this tag over the years.
Even four-time major winner
Phil Mickelson had it for a while, before a flurry of victories allowed him to put it behind him once and for all.
Compatriot Stricker looks capable of shedding one of the most unwanted labels in world
golf, but whether he will get a better chance to do so than in his last outing remains to be seen.
The 44-year-old shot a stunning 63 on the first day of the US PGA in Atlanta earlier this month, a round which left many observers certain that this was his time to break through.
However, a disappointing 74 on day two derailed his challenge and he ended up tied for 12th behind eventual winner Keegan Bradley.
With so many promising young players out there at the moment, Stricker's moment may have passed, but many are convinced he is not out of the running just yet.
Born in Edgerton , Wisconsin, Stricker earned All-American honours as a member of the University of Illionis golf team in 1988 and 1989 before turning pro in 1990.
He started on the Canadian Tour where he won two tournaments, then joined the US PGA equivalent in 1994.
His first success at this level came in 1996, when he secured victories at the Kemper Open and Motorola Western Open and seven top ten finishes on his way to finishing fourth on the 1996 PGA Tour money list.
In 1998, he recorded his best finish in a major, ending up in second place behind
Vijay Singh.
During his 21 years on the tour, Stricker has claimed 11 wins and has spent 140 weeks in the top ten of the world rankings since 2007.
He also has a formidable record at the
US Open despite never winning there, finishing inside the top 20 on six occasions.
Now, Stricker is gearing up for the FedExCup Playoffs, a stage of the season in which he has excelled, earning the nickname Mr September as a result.
He told the PGA Tour website last week how he is ready to compete once again.
"I think I can continue on what I've done the last four years and play well through these next four events," he remarked. "It's an important stretch. There's a lot riding on the line and I'm excited to start the end of the season really."
Asked why he seems to be thriving in his 40s, Stricker replied: "You know a lot of guys have paved that way prior to me and showed that could happen. Vijay comes to mind and Jay Haas played well into his late 40s.
"If you take care of yourself, which you know, means I guess working out to some extent, eating healthy and just staying active, and working on your game, and still having that desire. I think the desire is the biggest thing," he added.