U.S. Senior Open R3

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Stricker takes 6-hole lead into final day
Posted on
June 30, 2019
by
The Editorial Team in ,
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

June 27-30
Warren Golf Course Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana
$4,000,000
Round 1, Round 2, Round 4

Steve Stricker holds a 6-hole lead in the U.S. Senior Open after firing a 66 on Saturday, following his first round 62 and second round 64.


''Let's just get it on the table, Steve Stricker is kind of becoming a jerk,'' fellow player Billy Andrade joked Friday.

Stricker is seeking his second senior major title after winning the Regions Tradition by six strokes in May in Alabama where the 52-year-old played a tournament-record 18-under 192 total on the rain-softened Warren Golf Course. His 4-under 66 on Saturday extends his bogey-free run to 48 holes.

''Much the same as it was the first two days, just driving it in the fairway,'' Stricker said. ''Hit some pretty good iron shots into the greens. Just didn't get into too many problems. That was the key. And if I did, I was able to get it up-and-down or make a save of some sort.''

The 2020 U.S. Ryder Cup captain, Stricker has split time between the PGA Tour and the senior circuit since turning 50. He's making his first start in the event after skipping it the last two years.

''I don't know why,'' Stricker said. ''I think because I was playing more on the regular tour. Last year, I was scheduled to go, and I don't know, I was tired or just coming off of our tournament that we host in Madison. I think it's just a scheduling thing that has gotten in the way of me coming the last couple years, and it finally worked out this year.''


His opening 62 tied the tournament record and gave him a share of the first-round lead with David Toms, his 64 on Friday gave him a two-stroke advantage.

''The course toughened up a little bit today,'' Stricker said. ''The wind was coming from a different direction, kind of a west-northwest to almost a northwest wind, and it played a little bit different. Greens firmed up. Some of the pin locations were a little bit tougher, and you could tell in the scoring, too.''

Fellow Madison, Wisconsin, player Jerry Kelly was second after a 70. Kelly beat Stricker and Retief Goosen in a playoff last week in Madison in the PGA Tour Champions event that Stricker hosts.

''I'm going to have to be the aggressor,'' Kelly said. ''He's (Sticker's) hitting it long and straight. He's got a lot less in than me. He can pick apart a golf course. I'm going to have to play flawless. I mean, flawless. And I'm going to have to make a lot of putts.''

Defending champion Toms was third at 11 under after a 70.

''It just wasn't very good golf,'' Toms said. ''I was proud of the way I hung in there, got the ball up-and-down quite a few times today. I felt like I was in between clubs all day and I was either trying to hit one too hard, too easy, work it one way or the other, and I just never pulled off the shots.''

Stricker has hit 35 of 42 fairways, 45 of 54 greens and needed just 83 putts. He has played Nos. 3-5 - the toughest stretch on the course - in 4 under for three days.

''Those are holes that can come up and get you, so I've been trying to play them smart,'' Stricker said.

He birdied the par-4 third with a 6-foot putt and the 227-yard, par-3 fifth with an 18-footer.

Stricker broke the 54-hole record of 15 under set by eventual winner Olin Browne in 2011 at Inverness in Toledo, Ohio, and matched by Kirk Triplett in 2017 at Salem in Peabody, Massachusetts. Fred Funk set the 72-hole mark at 20 under in 2009 at Crooked Stick in Carmel, Indiana.

Tom Watson, who equaled his age 69 on Thursday and bettered it with a 68 on Friday, had a 73 to drop to event par. Gary Nicklaus, making his debut in the event with father Jack, the winner of 18 majors, and mother Barbara watching, struggled with his putter and shot 75 to fall to 4 over.


Pos.
Player
To Par
R1
R2
R3
Total
1
Steve Stricker
-18
62
64
66
192
2
Jerry Kelly
-12
64
64
70
198
3
David Toms
-11
62
67
70
199
4
Bob Estes
-10
67
65
68
200
T5
Stephen Ames
-7
70
67
66
203
T5
Tommy Armour III
-7
69
65
69
203
T5
Billy Andrade
-7
66
68
69
203
T5
Kirk Triplett
-7
64
68
71
203
T5
Retief Goosen
-7
66
65
72
203
T10
Miguel Angel Jiménez
-6
66
71
67
204
T10
Bernhard Langer
-6
66
68
70
204
T12
Paul Goydos
-5
67
69
69
205
T12
Chris DiMarco
-5
66
66
73
205
T14
Ken Duke
-4
70
70
66
206
T14
Paul Broadhurst
-4
71
67
68
206
T14
Kent Jones
-4
70
67
69
206
T17
Scott Parel
-3
67
73
67
207
T17
Corey Pavin
-3
68
72
67
207
T17
Doug Garwood
-3
70
69
68
207
T17
Fran Quinn
-3
68
70
69
207
T17
Jeff Sluman
-3
67
71
69
207
T17
Woody Austin
-3
68
69
70
207
T17
Tom Lehman
-3
68
69
70
207
T17
Mark R. Brown
-3
66
69
72
207
T25
Colin Montgomerie
-2
68
72
68
208
T25
Vijay Singh
-2
65
72
71
208
T25
Jeff Maggert
-2
70
67
71
208
T25
Jeff Gallagher
-2
69
67
72
208
T25
Duffy Waldorf
-2
65
69
74
208
T30
Tom Werkmeister
-1
72
67
70
209
T30
Roger Chapman
-1
70
69
70
209
T30
Peter Fowler
-1
71
68
70
209
T30
Jay Haas
-1
70
68
71
209
T30
Ken Tanigawa
-1
68
69
72
209
T30
Kevin Sutherland
-1
67
70
72
209
T30
Steve Jones
-1
71
66
72
209
T30
Joe Durant
-1
67
69
73
209
T38
Mark O'Meara
E
68
73
69
210
T38
Prayad Marksaeng
E
72
69
69
210
T38
Phillip Price
E
72
68
70
210
T38
Marco Dawson
E
72
68
70
210
T38
Clark Dennis
E
69
70
71
210
T38
Gary Orr
E
70
68
72
210
T38
Wes Short, Jr.
E
68
70
72
210
T38
Tom Watson
E
69
68
73
210
T46
Scott McCarron
1
72
69
70
211
T46
Lee Janzen
1
70
70
71
211
T48
Paul Lawrie
2
70
71
71
212
T48
Kirk Hanefeld
2
69
71
72
212
T48
Tom Byrum
2
73
67
72
212
T51
Rocco Mediate
3
72
69
72
213
T51
Bart Bryant
3
72
68
73
213
T51
Billy Mayfair
3
68
72
73
213
T51
Tim Petrovic
3
69
70
74
213
T51
Jean-Francois Remesy
3
70
69
74
213
T51
Toru Suzuki
3
65
72
76
213
T57
Kohki Idoki
4
69
72
73
214
T57
Brad Bryant
4
71
70
73
214
T57
Gary Nicklaus
4
68
71
75
214
60
Scott Dunlap
9
71
70
78
219
CUT
Jim Estes
2
69
73
--
142
CUT
Steve Sear
2
72
70
--
142
CUT
Jay Williamson
2
73
69
--
142
CUT
Michael Campbell
2
72
70
--
142
CUT
Cliff Kresge
2
71
71
--
142
CUT
Steve Flesch
2
72
70
--
142
CUT
John Cook
2
70
72
--
142
CUT
Jesús Rivas
2
68
74
--
142
CUT
Michael McCoy (a)
2
71
71
--
142
CUT
Paul Streeter
3
70
73
--
143
CUT
Stephen Dodd
3
73
70
--
143
CUT
Fred Funk
3
69
74
--
143
CUT
Willie Wood
3
72
71
--
143
CUT
Dick Mast
3
72
71
--
143
CUT
Jim Schuman
3
73
70
--
143
CUT
Mark Calcavecchia
3
72
71
--
143
CUT
Greg Meyer
3
70
73
--
143
CUT
Shaun Micheel
3
74
69
--
143
CUT
Olin Browne
3
72
71
--
143
CUT
Brad Lardon
3
70
73
--
143
CUT
Ray Morton (a)
4
72
72
--
144
CUT
Jay Gregory (a)
4
72
72
--
144
CUT
Glen Day
4
72
72
--
144
CUT
Greg Kraft
4
72
72
--
144
CUT
Jong-Duck Kim
4
68
76
--
144
CUT
Esteban Toledo
4
70
74
--
144
CUT
Mike Genovese
4
74
70
--
144
CUT
Steve Larick
4
71
73
--
144
CUT
Kevin Hayashi
4
73
71
--
144
CUT
Brandt Jobe
4
70
74
--
144
CUT
Tom Pernice Jr.
4
70
74
--
144
CUT
Mike Meehan
4
72
72
--
144
CUT
Todd Hamilton
5
73
72
--
145
CUT
Darren Clarke
5
73
72
--
145
CUT
Scott Verplank
5
70
75
--
145
CUT
Donald Wright
5
71
74
--
145
CUT
Jeff Brehaut
5
73
72
--
145
CUT
Bob Royak (a)
5
74
71
--
145
CUT
Robert Rannow
5
71
74
--
145
CUT
Gene Sauers
5
68
77
--
145
CUT
Jarmo Sandelin
5
72
73
--
145
CUT
Miguel Angel Martin
6
74
72
--
146
CUT
Roger Rowland
6
71
75
--
146
CUT
Chris Smith
6
76
70
--
146
CUT
Christopher Williams
6
71
75
--
146
CUT
Magnus P. Atlevi
6
73
73
--
146
CUT
Tommy Tolles
6
72
74
--
146
CUT
Tim Dunlavey (a)
7
74
73
--
147
CUT
Chris Hunsucker
7
73
74
--
147
CUT
Brian Cooper
7
74
73
--
147
CUT
Mike Mitchell
7
73
74
--
147
CUT
Tim Hogarth (a)
7
73
74
--
147
CUT
Jeff Coston
7
73
74
--
147
CUT
Gary Sowinski
7
73
74
--
147
CUT
Kevin King (a)
7
72
75
--
147
CUT
Steve Jurgensen
7
74
73
--
147
CUT
Marion Dantzler
8
74
74
--
148
CUT
Loren Roberts
8
71
77
--
148
CUT
Mark Mance (a)
8
72
76
--
148
CUT
David Plumb
8
72
76
--
148
CUT
Jeffrey Wilson (a)
8
76
72
--
148
CUT
Tony Soerries (a)
8
76
72
--
148
CUT
Richard Gilkey
9
75
74
--
149
CUT
Richard Dukelow
9
75
74
--
149
CUT
Scott Taylor
9
77
72
--
149
CUT
Sean Knapp (a)
9
71
78
--
149
CUT
Tommy Brennan (a)
9
75
74
--
149
CUT
Don Berry
9
78
71
--
149
CUT
Todd Schaap (a)
10
76
74
--
150
CUT
Roger Hoit (a)
10
75
75
--
150
CUT
Roger Newsom (a)
10
77
73
--
150
CUT
Robert Sheats (a)
10
73
77
--
150
CUT
Gary Rusnak
11
76
75
--
151
CUT
Trevor Dodds
11
76
75
--
151
CUT
Mark Morgan (a)
11
77
74
--
151
CUT
Eddie Hargett (a)
11
77
74
--
151
CUT
Scott Paris
12
72
80
--
152
CUT
Jeff New (a)
13
79
74
--
153
CUT
Ron Schroeder
13
78
75
--
153
CUT
Jon Fiedler
13
76
77
--
153
CUT
Dennis Wells
13
73
80
--
153
CUT
Monte Scheinblum
14
77
77
--
154
CUT
Bret Burroughs
14
75
79
--
154
CUT
Carey Hodsden
14
77
77
--
154
CUT
Thomas Levet
14
73
81
--
154
CUT
Ben Bates
16
77
79
--
156
CUT
Kevin VandenBerg (a)
17
76
81
--
157
CUT
Alan Phillips
19
79
80
--
159
CUT
Tucker Sampson (a)
21
82
79
--
161
CUT
Robin Bradbury (a)
22
79
83
--
162
CUT
Paul Norris
23
81
82
--
163
WD
Kenny Perry
--
67
--
--
67
WD
Scott Hoch
--
57
--
--
57
WD
Paul Trittler
--
51
--
--
51
WD
Tom Kite
--
74
43
--
117
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