Illinois Golf: Former Illini golfer Steve Stricker named Ryder Cup captain
Some big news came down in the world of Illinois golf on Wednesday afternoon.
It was announced that former Illinois golfer, Steve Stricker, will be the Ryder Cup captain for the Team USA in 2020. This is a huge honor considering only some of the best American golfers have been named captain of the team.
The Ryder Cup is a golf tradition that stands alone. This competition is something I have had the privilege to experience in 2012 when it came to Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Illinois. It is a sporting event atmosphere that I encourage all sports fan to experience once in their life. Stricker now gets to be a captain of the USA and will, hopefully, help this team get back on the winning track.
Team USA lost in 2018 over in France. We couldn’t manage to get on track and just looked tired the entire time. This was not a good showing for the United States. Europe has actually played pretty well in the Ryder Cup over the years. No matter what names appear for the Euros, they always seem to play well. Europe has won nine out of the last 12 Ryder Cups dating back to 1995. It is time for a change and Stricker is the man for the job.
Stricker has a great history in the game of golf. He came up through the Illinois golf program where he was a dominant player. He holds the No. 8 spot for lowest 36-hole individual score in Illinois golf history with a 134. He also still holds the record for lowest 72-hole individual score in program history with a 273. Stricker won the Big Ten Championship in 1986, 1988 and 1989 and was an All-American in 1988 and 1989. He was an absolute legend in college, and then he took his talents to the PGA Tour.
On the PGA Tour, Stricker racked up 12 wins which included a sixth-place finish at the Masters, a second-place finish at the PGA Championship, a fifth-place finish at the US Open and a fourth-place finish at The Open Championship. His college and professional accolades explain why he being picked as the captain of the 2020 US Ryder Cup team was a great move.
Next. 5 observations from the Illini loss to Badgers. dark
Illinois was already making their mark on the golf world before this past Wednesday. Now they have one of their own leading the way in, arguably, the most prestigious golf event in the world.