By: Tia Preece
Steve Stricker’s streak came to
a close Sunday as he tied for fifth at the 2012 John Deere Classic in Silvis,
Illinois. Stricker was attempting to be the fifth man in history to win four
times consecutively at the same event, but finished a respectful fifth at 16
under at TPC Deere Run. Tiger Woods, Tom Morris Jr., Walter Hagen, and Gene
Sarazen have been the ones to claim those rare spots in the history books but
with all golf fans pulling for Stricker, he came up short and those hopes were
closed. Unfortunately, this event was not Stricker’s time and the streak will
need to start over with his next win.
The streak might not have
continued for so long as the field of top rated players at the John Deere
Classic has been considerably lighter than most stops on the PGA Tour. Many of
the top rated players as rated by the FED Ex Cup standings did not compete in
the competition. Stricker, who ranked 16 this week in the FED EX Cup standings,
did not have to compete against
players including Tiger Woods, Bubba Watson, Phil Mickleson, and Rory McIlroy
who are all on the top ten rankings list and all chose to pass on the
tournament. This has been a theme at the John Deere Classic where many have
skipped it leaving the door wide open for Stricker to strike. Many reasons for
the lack of top players showing up in Silvis, Illinois include a smaller purse
prize and most notably many have opted to prepare for the British Open that
commences on July 19th until July 22, 2012. If this tournament
included the top players in the past, I’m not sure if Stricker’s streak would
have continued for so long. However, it has been fun to watch the spotlight on
Stricker as it is well deserved.
With that said, Zach Johnson
was the man to win and end Stricker’s streak this Sunday at TPC Deere Run. Zach
Johnson and Troy Matteson finished the tournament in a two hole sudden death
playoff. The first hole was anything but sudden as both played the hole as if
they never played it before with results ending in double-bogey. The second
hole ended in a much better fashion as both Matteson and Johnson hit a great
shot off the tee, but Johnson was able to come out on top hitting a marvelous
second shot that left him with only a short putt to overcome Matteson for the
win.
Zach Johnson ended the
tournament at 20 under par. Zach Johnson, an Iowa boy from Cedar Rapids
and board member at TPC Deere Run, makes the win his ninth victory on the PGA
Tour. This win is his second of the season as he won the Crown
Plaza Invitational in Fort Worth, Texas in May. Zach Johnson will be
able to start his own streak at TPC Deere Run with a second victory next year. Well,
that is if Stricker doesn’t beat him first.
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