Steve Stricker plays through pain at AmFam Championship, surgery ahead

MADISON – Steve Stricker stood behind Darren Clarke and Thomas Thomas Bjørn on the 18th green at TPC Wisconsin after presenting the pair the trophy for winning the inaugural team version of the American Family Insurance Championship on June 8 and it was then when Clarke announced to the world that Stricker would be having surgery to alleviate pain he’s been dealing with for most of the season.

It was the second straight tournament ending speech where the champion broke news for Stricker, as 2024 champ Ernie Els prematurely announced the team format last June.

After Clarke spoke, Stricker acknowledged he is schedule to have surgery for an issue in his neck.

“My back is what’s giving me the most problems,” the Edgerton native said. “It’s for my neck, the surgery part, but I want to tell the guy the problem is right here.”

The 58-year-old then put his hand on the right side of his lower back and pantomimed the turn on a back swing.

“I can’t twist through there,” Stricker continued, “I can’t generate the power.”

He said he’ll have an MRI for his back the week of June 16.

“I’ll get better, I’ll be back, I’ll play again but I’ve got it get better first,” he said.

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Which would be music to the ears of friends on tour, like Clarke.

“He’s playing in pain,” Clarke said. “I guess he probably wouldn’t have played this week unless he was the host. He’s going to have to go in and have surgery and as members of the tour we want to see ‘Strick’ back out playing. He makes our tour a better place when he’s playing, him and Nicki. He’s on and off these injuries and hopefully he gets himself sorted. We want him back out on the tour again full time.”

The AmFam Championship, the event Stricker co-hosts, was just his fourth start of the PGA Tour Champions season for Stricker and his first since the Senior PGA Championship at the end of May. His tie for second with partner Mario Tiziani was also Stricker’s best finish in those starts, which is unusual in that Stricker has won 18 times since joining the PGA Tour Champions in 2017.

“It’s frustrating that I’m not playing to my potential really,” Stricker said. “My body just isn’t feeling that well. Got some things to deal with, try to take care of it. I still enjoy playing but I don’t enjoy playing the way I feel today. I thought we hung in there. Like I said, I left him hanging a few times. But he played great. That putt he made on the last hole, that will do him good. We had a lot of fun.”

He looked uncomfortable at times while playing the week of the tournament and some of his shots were uncharacteristically wayward.

“I hate this to be the talking point, but it just gets to be the further along we go in the round, drivers are an issue, long clubs are harder,” he admitted. “Yeah, it was still a blast, wouldn’t miss this for the world.”