American Steve Stricker drained a 30-foot birdie putt on the last hole on Sunday to win the John Deere Classic with a final round 69 and a total of 22-under.
Stricker also rolled in a 20-foot birdie putt at the 17th to win the tournament for the third year in a row, finishing one shot clear of his compatriot Kyle Stanley, who made a bogey at the final hole to miss out on a playoff.
It was the 21st time on the USPGA Tour that a player won a tournament three years in succession. Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer are among those who have achieved the feat.
Photo: AFP
“It was an unbelievable week and an unbelievable finish. I can’t really believe that it happened yet, to tell you the truth,” Stricker said. “It was just kind of a roller coaster day today … I feel very fortunate and very lucky to have won.”
Stanley, a USPGA Tour rookie, moved into contention thanks to a superb run after the turn that featured five birdies from six holes.
Stanley, playing in the group ahead of overnight leader Stricker, led by two strokes with two holes to play, but could only manage a par at the par-five 17th, then bogeyed the last with a 10-foot putt that lipped out after he had driven into the trees.
Stricker, the world No. 5, had lost his lead with bogeys at the 15th and 16th, but recovered in spectacular fashion to win the title for the third year running.
On the 18th, he hit his drive into a fairway bunker, but after some hesitation over his club choice, still found the back fringe of the green with a superb approach before sinking the long birdie putt.
“Believe or not, I was thinking three and that is why I went back to the six iron,” Stricker said. “I finally got a good stance in there. I thought I could pull that shot off, but to make that putt is a bonus obviously. What a day.”
The victory gave the 44-year-old his 11th USPGA Tour win and his second of this year following his triumph in the Memorial last month.
It was an agonizing end for Stanley, who closed with a 66 and would have become the fifth rookie to win on the Tour this year, but he had little time to reflect on the loss after booking the final spot in the Open next week’s at Royal St George’s, and was due to catch the same overnight flight as Stricker.
“It’s great. I’m very excited to go over there and play,” he said. “But I’m still trying to calm down from that round. I probably made about 24, 25 birdies, which is good. So I just got to continue to work hard on that. And we’ll be back.”
Canada’s Matt McQuillan and American Zach Johnson tied for third at 17-under, one stroke clear of Charles Howell III and Chez Reavie.
Brazil has four teams, more than any other country, in the expanded Club World Cup that kicked off yesterday in the US, but for SE Palmeiras, the competition holds a special meaning: winning it would provide some redemption. Under coach Abel Ferreira since 2020, Palmeiras lifted two Copa Libertadores titles, plus Brazilian league, cup and state championships. Even before Ferreira, it boasted another South American crown and 11 league titles. The only major trophy missing is a world champions’ title. Other Brazilian clubs like Fluminense FC and Botafogo FR, also in the tournament, have never won it either, but the problem for Palmeiras
Paris Saint-Germain’s Lee Kang-in has pleaded with South Korea fans to get behind the team at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after more boos were aimed at coach Hong Myung-bo despite leading them to qualification. South Korea reached next year’s finals in North America without losing a game, but that does not tell the whole story. The country’s soccer association has been in the firing line, having scrambled about to find a successor after sacking the unpopular Jurgen Klinsmann in February last year. They eventually settled on Hong, the decorated former skipper who had an unsuccessful stint as coach in 2013-2014, during which
Lionel Messi drew vast crowds and showed flashes of his brilliance when his Inter Miami side were held to a goalless draw by African giants Al-Ahly as the revamped FIFA Club World Cup got off to a festive start on Saturday. Fans showed up en masse for the Group A clash at the Hard Rock Stadium, home to the NFL’s Miami Dolphins, but Messi could not fully deliver, his best chance coming through a last-second attempt that was deflected onto the crossbar. Inter Miami next face FC Porto on Thursday in Atlanta, while Al-Ahly, who benefited from raucous, massive support, are to
Ferrari’s F1 fortunes might be flagging, but the Italian team start this weekend’s 24 Hours of Le Mans as favorites, targeting a third consecutive triumph in motorsport’s fabled endurance classic. Roger Federer is acting as celebrity starter with the tennis icon getting the 93rd edition of the jewel in four-wheeled endurance racing’s crown under way tomorrow. Twenty-four hours later, through daylight, darkness and dawn, the 21 elite hypercars are to battle it out over 300 laps (more than 4,000km) in front of a sold-out 320,000 crowd burning the midnight oil with copious quantities of coffee and beer. Ferrari made a triumphant return after
RSS