Golf Roundup: Steve Stricker wins Senior PGA in playoff with Padraig Harrington

Published 10:30 pm Sunday, May 28, 2023

Field Level Media

Steve Stricker defeated Ireland’s Padraig Harrington on the first playoff hole at the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship to earn his sixth PGA Tour Champions major on Sunday in Frisco.

Harrington led after each of the first three rounds but found himself behind Stricker by one shot as they headed to the par-5 18th hole at the Fields Ranch East course at PGA Frisco. With his back to the wall, Harrington reached the green in two and two-putted for birdie. That was enough to force a playoff once Stricker missed a long birdie putt.

But when they headed back to the 18th tee to start the playoff, Harrington drove into a hazard and Stricker was the one in position to make birdie. Harrington missed a birdie putt that would have extended the playoff.

Stricker, 56, has won each of the first two senior majors of the season, having captured the Regions Tradition earlier this month.

“It feels great,” Stricker said of the consecutive major wins. “It feels great to do it not only to do it and have (my daughter) Izzy on the bag was even more special. We had a great time this week and that was the goal, right, just to come here and have a good time with her, and to throw a win on top of it is even icing on the cake.”

He added about his daughter’s work, “She did well. Both of us, we … clammed up a little bit coming in. … I had my head down grinding and trying to figure out how to get it in the hole at times. You’ll have to ask her, but I’m sure she was a little nervous coming down the stretch. But all in all, after it’s all said and done, it was a lot of fun.”

Steve Stricker won the Senior PGA for the first time in his career, adding it to a mantle that includes three Regions Traditions, a U.S. Senior Open and a Senior Players Championship.

Stricker began the day one shot off Harrington’s pace and carded a 3-under 69 to get to 18-under 270.

Harrington had a 2-under 70 with five birdies and three bogeys. He trailed by two shots after 14 holes with Stricker but birdied the par-4 15th to narrow the margin. Both players bogeyed the par-3 17th before Harrington tied it at No. 18.

“Steve is probably the toughest guy you could ever play on a Sunday,” Harrington said. “He has to have the best wedge game in the world. Like he’s a fabulous putter, he’s a fabulous chipper, but his wedge play like at the first 14 holes was just spectacular.”

Stewart Cink shot his fourth straight round in the 60s, a 69, to finish in third at 16 under. Y.E. Yang of South Korea posted a 70 and was a distant fourth at 11 under.

Defending champion Steven Alker of New Zealand (71), Miguel Angel Jimenez of Spain (70) and Darren Clarke of Northern Ireland (72) tied for fifth at 9 under.

Harold Varner III wins LIV Golf D.C.

Harold Varner III made a short birdie putt at the 18th hole to win his first LIV event, prevailing at LIV Golf D.C. on Sunday in Sterling, Virginia.

Varner’s final-round 68 at Trump National Golf Club Washington, D.C. brought him to 12 under for the week, staving off Branden Grace of South Africa by a shot. Mito Pereira of Chile, the leader entering Sunday, settled for third at 10 under after a 71.

Varner, 32, won his first tournament since the Saudi International in February 2022.

“I’m getting better at golf,” Varner said. “That’s always been my goal. I think big things are coming.”

The winner of a $4 million check for first place, Varner said he will put much of it toward his charitable organization, the HV3 Foundation.

“I feel like I get to help a lot of people now, even more people, so that’s what kills me sometimes because it costs a lot of money to help a lot of people,” Varner said.

Pereira bogeyed each of his first two holes, opening the door for Varner to move back ahead. Varner followed his first birdie at No. 3 with his lone bogey of the day at No. 4, but he got one back with a birdie at the par-5 seventh.

Varner’s biggest shot of the day, though, was a hole-out for birdie from a greenside bunker at the par-4 11th. After Pereira got his third shot within 4 feet of the pin, Varner splashed his ball out and watched it roll straight downhill and into the cup.

Grace made a charge up the leaderboard with a bogey-free, 6-under 66. He started his day on the third hole and birdied two of his last three — Nos. 18 and 2 — to get to 11 under. So, Varner was forced to birdie his final hole to avoid a playoff.

Torque GC won the team competition with a combined score of 27 under for the week. David Puig of Spain shot a 66 and Sebastian Munoz of Colombia had a 70 along with Pereira’s 71 to contribute to Sunday’s score.

Torque beat the all-South African Stinger GC, led by captain Louis Oosthuizen, Grace and Charl Schwartzel. Stinger finished at 24 under.

Anannarukarn wins LPGA Match-Play

Pajaree Anannarukarn of Thailand defeated Ayaka Furue of Japan 3 and 1 in the final to capture the Bank of Hope LPGA Match-Play title on Sunday in Las Vegas.

Anannarukarn, who turns 24 on Tuesday, picked up her second LPGA victory and became the fifth Thai player with multiple titles on tour, joining Ariya Jutanugarn (12), Atthaya Thitikul (2), Moriya Jutanugarn (2) and Jasmine Suwannapura (2).

“I just, you know, tried every possible way just to improve my game and just keep believing, and I’m lucky that I have everyone around me that helped me and supported me along the way just since Day 1,” Anannarukarn said. “So I’m really grateful for that.”

Anannarukarn played 34 holes at Shadow Creek Country Club on Sunday and 116 holes overall to earn the victory. She was the only player who needed to win a playoff tiebreaker to advance out of the round-robin stage. She tied Karis Davidson of Australia at 2-1-0 in her group and beat Davidson on their first playoff hole Friday.

Earlier Sunday, Anannarukarn beat Linn Grant of Sweden 3 and 1 in the semifinals. Furue beat Ireland’s Leona Maguire 2 and 1 in the other semifinal.

In the final, Furue took a 1-up lead when Anannarukarn bogeyed the second hole, but Anannarukarn parred the par-4 third hole while Furue bogeyed to level the match.

The golfers traded the fifth and sixth holes before Anannarukarn went back ahead with a birdie at the par-5 seventh. She defended the lead, halving the next four holes with Furue, before making another birdie at the par-4 12th and moving 2 up.

That proved crucial, as Furue struck back and won the 13th hole with a birdie 2. But Anannarukarn birdied No. 14 to go ahead 2 up again, and leading 2 up with two holes to play, her birdie at the par-3 17th sealed the deal.

“The wind definitely picked up a lot and I think I used all of my birdies and focus (in the semifinal), so I really try hard to focus on myself,” Anannarukarn said. “I missed couple putts and I even shanked off the bunker. I mean, it’s golf and I’m really tried, so I’m glad I was able to play … decent enough.”