Steve Stricker wins Senior PGA; debutant Arjun Atwal finishes 49th
May 30, 2023
Frisco [US], May 30 : Steve Stricker edged Padraig Harrington in a playoff to win his second straight win at the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship at Fields Ranch East in Frisco, Texas. It was his sixth Major overall.
India's Arjun Atwal had a disappointing finish with a 75 that saw him slip to T-49 at the finish. Atwal making his Senior Major debut had one birdie against two bogeys and a double bogey. Atwal, playing only his second event on the Champions Tour, had rounds of 73-72-72-75 for 4-over 292.
Jeev Milkha Singh had missed the cut earlier.
Stricker has his daughter, Izzi, on the bag as he started the final round one shot behind Harrington, who had fallen back and needed a birdie on the 18th to force a playoff.
Stricker had a one-shot lead over the long-hitting Harrington when they came to the par-5 18th. Harrington hammered a 335-yard drive to leave himself about 200 yards. Stricker laid back with a 3-wood off the tee to force himself to lay up into wedge position.
Harrington's second shot landed short of a left greenside bunker, bounced back and to the right, and went along the bunker before settling 25 feet from the hole. Harrington two-putted, and Stricker could manage only par, forcing a playoff.
They returned to 18, but Harrington lost his drive right inside a hazard this time. He tried to hack it out but topped it into the water. Dropping well back in the fairway, he ripped a 5-wood from 272 yards to about 13 feet but missed the par putt, giving Stricker the win.
Stricker won the first major of the year, the Regions Tradition when he beat the field by five shots. Stricker now has three wins this season and leads the Charles Schwab Cup race by a wide margin.
Stricker now joins a group of only five other players to win at least six senior majors. Bernhard Langer has the most, with 11.
Stewart Cink, playing in the final group with Stricker and Harrington, finished in third place in his PGA TOUR Champions debut. Cink had the only eagle of the day on 18 to finish at 16 under, two shots out of the playoff.
Y E Yang of Korea shot 70 in the final round after 69s on the first three days and he was the sole fourth.
