Steve Stricker Earns Third Consecutive John Deere Classic Title

~ Three-peat! - This past Sunday, 11-time PGA TOUR winner Steve Stricker joined an elite list - he is one of only ten golfers since World War II to have won a PGA TOUR tournament three consecutive times. ~

Throughout the last five seasons, Steve Stricker has truly transformed his career. Since 2007 alone, he has won eight PGA TOUR titles, including such renowned championships as The Barclays, Memorial Tournament, and Deutsche Bank Championship.

His play has been especially inspirational when one considers just how much he struggled to maintain consistency from 2002 to 2005. In each of those seasons, he finished 88th, 188th, 151st, and 162nd on the PGA TOUR money list, respectively.

For some professional golfers, such finishes would have been highly respectable - but not for Stricker, an individual who once contended for the 1998 PGA Championship (finishing runner-up, two strokes behind Vijay Singh), dominated the 1996 Western Open (winning by eight shots), and defeated European Tour member Pierre Fulke for the 2001 Accenture Match Play Championship (a World Golf Championship event).

Without a doubt, Stricker was one of the TOUR's rising stars - and one of America's most talented golfers - throughout the mid and late 1990s, as well as the early 2000s.

Just when it seemed he was well-prepared to take his career to the next level after winning the Accenture Match Play Championship in 2001, Stricker soon lost his game - and his confidence - throughout the next few years.

But, what led Stricker to fall outside of the top 500 of the World Golf Rankings only a decade after he had contented for multiple major championships and had finished in the top 30 of the TOUR's money list on a regular basis?

Some point to the various injuries that Stricker endured, while others believe he lost confidence in his driving and putting, which led to inconsistent scoring and numerous missed cuts.

No matter the reason for his inconsistency, Stricker eventually lost his TOUR card after the 2005 season, ultimately relying on sponsor's exemptions throughout 2006.

Stricker's irregular play and results from 2002 to 2005 have surprisingly led to one of the greatest comebacks in PGA TOUR history.

In 2006, Stricker finished 34th on the TOUR's money list as he relied completely on the mercy of sponsor's exemptions. His efforts were well-noticed though as he was rewarded with the TOUR's Comeback Player of the Year award.

In 2007, Stricker defeated K.J. Choi by two shots for his first win on American soil in eleven years at The Barclays, a FedEx Cup playoff event. Upon winning the tournament, he finished fourth on the TOUR's money list and earned his second consecutive Comeback Player of the Year Award - the only golfer to have won the award more than once.

Stricker did not win a tournament the following season, but he still finished 22nd on the money list and contented in a wide array of tournaments, including the season-opener Mercedes Championship, which he lost in a playoff to Daniel Chopra.

In 2009 and 2010, Stricker acquired three and two PGA TOUR wins, respectively, all the while finishing second and fifth on the TOUR's money list. During each of those seasons, he also represented the United States as a member of the Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup teams.

Therefore, Stricker's awe-inspiring play throughout 2011 has certainly not been surprising.

Following a one-stroke victory during May's Memorial Tournament, Stricker was clearly the favorite to win the 2011 John Deere Classic - for the third consecutive time.

He did not disappoint.

With rounds of 66, 64, 63, and 69, including a 25-foot putt for birdie and the victory during the tournament's 72nd hole, Stricker defeated TOUR rookie Kyle Stanley with a four-round total of 22-under-par.

In doing so, he joined a select class of golfers to have won at least three consecutive PGA TOUR events, including the likes of Arnold Palmer, Walter Hagen, Tiger Woods, and Johnny Miller.

Stricker's timing for low scoring is absolutely perfect.

As he continues to search for his first major championship victory, Stricker knows that, at age 44, Father Time is no longer on his side. Yet, he is also arguably playing some of the best golf of his career.

As a result, he is a clear favorite to win this year's Open Championship at Royal St. George's.

There are very few golfers who are more deserving of a major championship victory than Steve Stricker, especially when one considers his natural abilities, work ethic, and perseverance in order to complete one of the greatest comebacks in the history of golf.

For Stricker, and thousands of his fans, a victory during this week's Open would be the ultimate Cinderella story.

This Sunday could very well be the day that Stricker has waited his entire life for - the day in which he joins golf's most exclusive club....as a major champion.

Steve Stricker's PGA TOUR Victories

1996 Kemper Open
1996 Motorola Western Open
2001 Accenture Match Play Championship
2007 The Barclays
2009 Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial
2009 John Deere Classic
2009 Deutsche Bank Championship
2010 Northern Trust Open
2010 John Deere Classic
2011 Memorial Tournament
2011 John Deere Classic

Other Accolades and Accomplishments

Member, 1996, 2007, and 2009 Presidents Cup
Member, 2008 and 2010 Ryder Cup
2006 and 2007 PGA TOUR Comeback Player of the Year