Steve Stricker - Part 1 (The Early Years and the 2021 Ryder Cup)

Mike Gonzalez 0:15

Welcome to another edition of FORE the Good of the Game. Bruce Devlin, I'll give a couple of clues. I have a Blue Mound shirt on, which uh I got a blue shirt on too. No, but mine's a blue mound shirt. That's pretty special because this is close to where our guest is from. And then I've got a little something else here that uh uh you know might might give it away a little bit. But uh I'm really happy to have this guy this morning, Bruce. Why don't you tell our listeners about uh our guest?

Bruce Devlin 0:42

Well, we're we're so happy that he joined us. Uh he he obviously is still uh writing the record as far as his playing capacity is concerned, but he's already a winner of 30 golf tournaments around the world. Uh a great player and and uh captain of the Ryder Cup team last year at Whistling Straits. We're glad to have Steve Stricker with us. Steve, thanks for joining us.

Steve Stricker 1:07

Yeah, thanks for having me. I'm I'm honored to be on your show, Bruce and Mike, and uh look forward to the next few minutes here to to go over a few things. So thanks for having me.

Bruce Devlin 1:17

We're glad to have you, buddy.

Mike Gonzalez 1:18

I've been looking forward to this as a as a fellow allini. And uh I've got to ask you, uh first of all, everybody is glad to hear about you being on the road to recovery. Of course, that's been on the news. We don't want to talk about that too much, but my question would be this uh if if you gain 30 pounds from season to season, does that make you eligible for comeback player of the year?

Steve Stricker 1:41

That's right. That's uh that's what I I wrote on my uh I've got a list of exercises uh that I'm kind of rehabbing with, and I put comeback number three. So that's my goal is to uh to come back a little bit stronger and better than where I left it a few months ago. So yeah, I'm excited. I'm uh working hard again and and uh glad that I'm feeling better and moving in the right direction.

Mike Gonzalez 2:06

Well, great. Uh we thought what we'd do with the time that we've got with you, Steve, is uh spend a little bit of time with the early years, and you can tell us a little bit about growing up in the Edgerton, Wisconsin area and how you learned the game, how you got exposed to it, maybe take you up through your career at Illinois. And then we'll jump ahead a little bit because I'm sure our listeners would be anxious to hear your perspectives on the uh on the big win at whistling streets in the Ryder Cup this fall. So maybe just go back to the beginning. Uh tell us a little bit about growing up in in Wisconsin.

Steve Stricker 2:37

Yeah, a small little town of 4,000 people. Um, my parents still live there today. We grew up right next to a uh little nine-hole golf course called uh Edgerton Town Country Club. And um, it's now 18 holes. And uh I had a had a brother and a dad who loved to play. My mom didn't play, but um it was kind of a family thing. It was a weekend thing, you know. And my brother and my dad and I would would go play every weekend, and uh, and then obviously I would play all during the week. Uh he he was an electrician, uh self-employed electrician in the small little town. And um so I would I would join the junior league and play all week long. I had buddies who liked to play, and so it was a uh a family affair, really, and uh that's how I learned the game. My dad was a pretty good player. Um, you know, probably a uh I can't remember his handicap, but maybe like uh low single digits, you know, four, five, six handicaps, something like that. Um so yeah, we it was it was something that I look forward to and enjoyed doing. And um, I played other sports. I played basketball and baseball as well, so I felt like I had it all kind of covered. And um it was it was a great town. My family life was great and um played high school golf. Uh went it, you know, made it to state all four years as an individual kind of thing. Our team was not good to make it as a team, but I still was able to get there. And um yeah, and that brought me on to the University of Illinois, Coach Ed Beard. Um, and Mike, you're a lionized, so you know Champagne, Urbana. And uh it was it was uh I wasn't heavily recruited. I didn't play a lot of golf events out of state, uh, played a lot of in-state stuff, and I had success in-state. Um, but really only uh a couple coaches really offered me anything. And Coach Ed Beard offered me a scholarship to go down there, which was about four hours away from home and close enough if I wanted to come back home. So um, yeah, it was a it was a great experience for me. Um still keeping contact with a number of the players today. Um Coach Beard, I I just talked to last week. I'll be seeing him down here in Florida soon. So uh, you know, that was that was a nice place growing up in in the small little town of Edgerton.

Mike Gonzalez 5:09

Bruce Devlin, uh a couple of things we've heard from Steve about growing up learning the game that we've heard from a lot of our guests. One is he he learned on a nine-hole course, which most of us did. Uh, and the other, uh, you know, he learned from his dad and her or his or his brother or whatever, you know, just playing and learning with family.

Bruce Devlin 5:31

Yeah, and uh, you know, uh Steve, a lot of the guys that we've talked to played other sports too when they were younger. And they uh they they all felt like that was uh a great help to them when they when they decided to play golf. I guess it's uh you know, hand-eye coordination, rhythm, all the things that we look so, you know, we look at to play golf in the proper way. And I I know that uh you you you got a very interesting caddy too. Does she play golf?

Steve Stricker 6:02

She plays a lot of golf. She practices probably harder at it than I do. And I agree with you. I think back when we grew up, you know, you got uh you got exposed to all these different sports and you learned you learn to, first of all, be a part of a team, even though golf is an individual sport, you learn a lot of things from working well with others, playing well with others, you know, being a teammate, what does that mean? Uh kind of thing, you know. So um yeah, I think, you know, you don't see that much today. You know, it seems like kids are focused on one sport and they're you know, all the programming and everything is uh tailored to do that one sport all year long. So I feel fortunate the time that I grew up in that era where we we were able to expose ourselves to a lot of different things and have fun doing different things. And yeah, my wife uh was an athletic person too, and she uh she's very competitive. She loves carrying the bag and um plays a lot of golf today as well as my kids do too. They uh they're into the game and and uh working hard at it as well. Ah, that's great.

Mike Gonzalez 7:06

Steve, when you when you were in high school, did you have a fall season or a spring season?

Steve Stricker 7:12

We had a spring season. So as soon as, and that's kind of the way I still uh am today, you know. I back in high school when the snow, you know, finally disappeared enough to show just a piece of grass, you know, you you threw some balls out there and you you went out there and you hit them and you went to find them, even though they were probably in the snow. Uh, but it was that excitement level that uh got you going each spring. Uh and I kind of always have felt that way even to this day. I feel like I need to take that break. Uh, you know, usually I take it now in the fall, you know, get away from the game for two or three months, and uh, and then and then I get that excitement level back again and and look forward to playing and working hard at it uh for that nine, tenth, ten-month period, uh, just like I did in high school. So um kind of what I got used to and what I learned growing up. And uh, but yeah, as soon as that first piece of grass showed, we were out there hitting.

Bruce Devlin 8:15

So also uh Steve, I I noticed where your uh in-laws too, they were they played a little bit of golf too.

Steve Stricker 8:23

Oh yeah, you uh you might have come across my father-in-law. Uh he was on tour uh late 60s, maybe right up to 1970, Dennis Tiziani. And um I remember the name, I sure do. Yeah, he played he played uh about three seasons out on tour. You know, back then, as you know, Bruce, it was if you made the cut, you could move on, kind of thing, you know, and and they took a lot more Monday qualifiers, and um, so he did that for a period of time. So he he's very knowledgeable about the game and um you know has been my teacher really since uh you know, in between my sophomore and junior year in college. Um and then I end up marrying his daughter. So it's family and and um golf is in our family on both sides. His his family is deep into the game, too.

Mike Gonzalez 9:16

Oh, that's great. You had to catch a lot of grief making that Illinois selection.

Steve Stricker 9:23

I still do. It's like I can't really um and he he recruited me as well, and I just wanted to um I wanted to experience college a little bit on my own, you know, get away from home. Like I said, I had a great home life, uh, great parents, but just far enough away where I was on my own and I felt like I could, you know, experience that and grow up and and learn some different things. And uh it was the right choice for me. And uh, but the one cool thing when when uh Tiz was recruiting me at Wisconsin is like, you know, if if you ever need anything, anything whatsoever, don't hesitate to call or you know, come back and you know, so any he was he was so gracious about that, and and um I'll never forget that. And then I came back and started getting help from him, and uh he's he's uh wonderful man.

Mike Gonzalez 10:20

So if you were shopping around your high school credentials today, would Coach Small sign you?

Steve Stricker 10:28

I don't think so. I I don't know. He's got a strong team every year, and and they've uh they've done some great things there at Illinois since he's taken over and um and developed some wonderful players and uh guys that have gone on to play tour, you know, tour golf, not only here in the States, but um Thomas Peters just won over on the European tour, so he played for Smalley. And yeah, I don't know if I could make Smalley's team back then. So it it it would have been it would have been more of a challenge for sure.

Mike Gonzalez 11:03

Yeah, I I think about it in terms of academics. I look back to, you know, like I started 1974 and I asked myself, would I even get in the university uh today? I'm not sure I'd even get in the school.

Steve Stricker 11:18

Yeah, it's uh things have changed, and um, but you know, I'm sure you had a great experience there too. It's just uh it's a it's a nice school and and that's what it is. It's a it's a town, it's a campus town. And um, you know, the sport sports were always fun to go to. They made a final four one year when we were there, so um, yeah, it was a it was a fun time.

Mike Gonzalez 11:41

I miss Cam's, Garcia's, and Papa Dell's.

Bruce Devlin 11:48

No, I was what I was gonna say, Steve, was uh Wisconsin State Open. You uh you you pretty pretty much owned that for a few years, didn't you? When won as an amateur in uh 1987, and four more victories after that. So quite a record in that tournament.

Steve Stricker 12:06

Yeah, and it it was uh something I even played it, I think, um a few times when I was uh you know playing, I think I even was on tour uh and I came back to play it, uh, just to show my support for the the state, um the people there, the the pros that I had gotten to know over the years. And um, so it's it's all you know, Wisconsin. Um I'm an emotional guy, but those those things are those things are important to me, you know, this my state, my family. Um, you know, I growing up there, I just uh, you know, I pinch myself just the the opportunities I had as a kid, and then you know, what has happened to me over the course of my career is um is very very um makes me happy, you know, and and something that I never thought I would do when I was a kid growing up in Wisconsin. You know, I had these dreams and desires to to play professionally, but you know, those are one thing, but getting to that level is always another. So um yeah, I'm very lucky and fortunate and humbled to be able to do what I've done through the course of my career.

Mike Gonzalez 13:19

Can you pinpoint, Steve, a time when you were younger where your game developed and reached a level where you said, ah, I think I might be able to do this for a living.

Steve Stricker 13:31

You know, I was fortunate like at every level, uh like the first few events um at each level, I had some sort of success. Um when I when I was playing in Wisconsin, I I had success in Wisconsin. Then when I went to Illinois, um it was my first event and I finished third or something like that. I won the Big Tens my freshman year, or tied for the Big Tens my freshman year. So I kind of got a taste of success right away at the next level. Uh I turned pro and I went up to Canada and won my very first um pro event up in Canada. So I'm like, hey, I can I can do this. I can I can compete at that next level. So that that gave me the the desire, the the confidence that I could you know continue on and try to improve. And uh it just fueled me at each at each level. And that's kind of what you know I attribute that to. Even before I got on tour, um I had a good showing at the Canadian Open on the regular tour. I finished fourth, I think, uh, without even having my tour card. So that gave me the confidence, like, hey, I can play out there, you know, I can hit some of the shots that these guys were hitting. And um, so that that was a big thing for me at each level that I got to see that I was, you know, on the right path.

Bruce Devlin 14:55

When I look at his record uh in team competition, which he talked about early, remember, growing up as a young boy playing different sports, uh we can we can start with the uh President's Cup. That might be a might be a good way to start about your team competition. 14 and 10 record in the President's Cup played in '96, 2007, 2009, 2011, 13, and 2017. So uh that's a that's uh that's a lot of uh team competition, Steve.

Steve Stricker 15:29

Yeah, and those, you know, once you make one, I made that 96 team, uh, the President's Cup team. And once you make one of those, um, you really you really strive to make more of those teams. And and obviously the Ryder Cup is the pinnacle of the team events. And um, yeah, so those those were always fun. Those are always great to be a part of. And I learned a lot, you know. I've been a part of uh a lot of teams, been a captain of both those teams, and um learned so much uh as an assistant captain, as a captain, and and really it's you know, just understanding your players, you know, and understanding your teammates when you are a teammate and uh being a good teammate. And I think, again, that brings me back to my upbringing of having good values for my parents, uh, playing team sports when I when I did play those team sports back in Edgerton. And um, those were some great times. A lot of fun in those team rooms, got to know a lot of these players, uh, become friends and close friends with a lot of these players.

Bruce Devlin 16:34

Well, the President's Cups that you were involved in were you know, were wins uh all the way or from '96 all the way through 2017. Uh you got to play in uh in some interesting places too. You went to Australia and then you were in Canada playing as well.

Steve Stricker 16:53

Yeah, Australia, um that that's uh that's an unbelievable golf course, and and that that's one of my favorites. Um played a president a uh a World Golf Championship event in uh Australia as well, uh at Metropolitan. Um so we yeah, you're fortunate in this game, as you know, Bruce, to travel the world and travel your country and um get to play some unbelievable places, and we're again very, very lucky to be able to do this for a living.

Mike Gonzalez 17:26

Steve, uh as I look back at your experience, particularly in the President's Cup, and I look at the list of captains, Arnold Palmer and and uh Peter Thompson in the first one, and then Nicholas and Plair and so forth. And then moving ahead to last fall when you stepped into the captain's role for the Writer Cup, you must have taken a little bit from each of those experiences in your learnings to try to apply that to then being a captain yourself.

Steve Stricker 17:57

Yeah, very much so. Um I was an assistant, you know, I I can't even remember three or four times uh with the President's Cup, um you know, and then and then with the Ryder Cup as well, uh, an assistant under Tom Watson, uh Davis Love, um, you know, Jay Haas on the President's Cup, uh Davis Love again on the President's Cup. Um so it it uh I learned at each each one of those, you know, what works, what doesn't work, what kind of um demeanor to have with these players, what uh what they want, you know, from you as a captain, and and then what I expect of them as a captain. So it's um I did, I learned a lot. So I felt like I was really qualified to be the captain last year at the Ryder Cup. Um even though that they've never had a captain, you know, and having not won a major. So I was kind of, you know, I heard some little bit of backlash when that when I was first announced, like, hey, wait a second, you know, kind of thing. But um it all worked out. We uh we had a wonderful team, and and uh like I said, I learned a lot from all those times I was an assistant really um and a captain of the President's Cup team.

Mike Gonzalez 19:13

Yeah, let's look back quickly on your uh playing career in the Wyder Cup, uh, participating in 2008, 10, and 12. The first one was a win at Valhalla, which had to feel good, but that was uh uh under some pretty good leadership. I mean, I know Paul Paul Azinger uh got a lot of kudos for his approach with this pod system and how he sort of managed that team. Tell us a little bit about that experience.

Steve Stricker 19:40

Yeah, that uh that was my first rider cup. Um, and I didn't have a great rider cup record. Um, you know, it it's uh I wish I could have done better in that, but the experience under Paul and that team was uh unbelievable. It was it was an eye-opening experience, you know, there in Louisville, Kentucky. Um, and Zinger did it, he did it right. I mean, I learned a lot from him. I I called him even prior to my captaincy last year uh to talk over a few things. So um he did a lot of different things from what I understood because I that was my first team, so I didn't I really didn't know any different. Um, but he he got the players involved. The players took ownership of the team a little bit. Um, I was a captain's pick that year, and the first thing he says, who else would you like to see round out the team? And I'm like, wow, here here I'm being a captain's pick, and yet he still asked my advice on who should round out this team, you know, to be in my pod. Um so a lot of a lot of really cool things that he did. Um the team was loose, the team was um, he got us fired up. The the crowd there was incredible. Um, yeah, it was a great experience.

Mike Gonzalez 20:58

And then the the next one, uh Corey Paven was the captain. That was at uh Celtic Manor. Uh I think the problem Corey had was I played with him in the GMO pro am uh a little just a few weeks before that, and I think I gave him some bad advice.

Steve Stricker 21:15

Yeah, it uh you know, I really I really uh believe that we could have really run the tables on this Ryder Cup uh in in that time period that I was playing. Um Corey did a great job. We went over there, weather was an issue. Um we we had a session where everybody played, and that that session, uh, which you would have thought was should have been in our favor, you know, we should have been deeper, and uh we took a we took a hit on that session session, but um we we had an opportunity to win there, and and then uh we didn't. And then come to 2012, we had a four point lead uh, you know, at At Medina under Davis Love, and you know, we should have won that one. So there was a period of time there that we could have won, you know, coulda, shoulda, you know, all those kind of scenarios. But, you know, it it could have flipped the other way pretty easily in those three years, and and it didn't. Um, hats off to the European side, but uh again, we learned from our mistakes, I think, in those uh those few years.

Mike Gonzalez 22:33

Uh the world lost Sevi by Asteros. And of course, he was very uh uh present, I would guess, uh or say at that uh particular Ryder Cup for the European side.

Steve Stricker 22:45

Yeah, they they played off that motivation for sure, but we we had them down, you know, and and you know, you got you guys can attest. I mean, Bruce, uh, you know, when you have a team four down going into singles, you you need to win that. And we didn't do a very good job really Saturday night. We didn't we uh and we we know this as uh as players, as captains, that we just didn't uh we didn't put our strongest out there to start with. You know, we didn't load the boat early on and right and even even the even the Europeans question, uh I know for a fact one of the Europeans said, why didn't you send out you know the guys that were playing the best right away, you know, kind of thing. And I don't even remember who that would have been, but um we just we didn't do that and uh we paid the price, really. I mean it it's something we learned from, and and it's something that I learned from because we took a lot of time on Saturday night, this last rider cup, to make sure that we we got it right in our minds, and uh that was all based off of uh what we didn't do in 2012.

Bruce Devlin 23:54

And that's a whole team sort of decision on the Saturday night, isn't it? Do you all sit around and chat about who should go and who shouldn't go, and you know, it's not just a captain's uh choice either.

Steve Stricker 24:06

You know, back in 2012, the team got involved, um, you know, and and it kind of that was in our minds as captains, that was kind of the problem, you know, where you know, guys say, hey, I want to go, you know, I want to go first off, I want to go second off, I want to go fourth off, I want to go seventh off, you know. And then we're like, okay, well, if he wants to go there, let's put him there, you know, and it's kind of a it's a blind draw, so you really don't know. Uh, you know, so from that point on, we well, I don't know what I know what we did this last rider cup, and and it was just the assistant captains, and we we put we we've been watching the guys and we know how they're playing, and we put the guys out there in an order that we felt as captains um should go in and and kind of just told the guys be prepared to go anywhere. Um, you know, we had an idea where some guys wanted to go, but we basically said, you know, this is the order that we feel, you know, get our best out there right away. And uh that's what we did.

Mike Gonzalez 25:09

Coming into this Ryder Cup, then as Captain Steve, you must have had a pretty good appreciation and and knowledge of the uh more recent Ryder Cup history, particularly the last 30 or 40 years, because uh there have been some sea changes, particularly when the Europeans were added to the mix and things got more competitive. Uh, tell us a little bit about your your preparation and and process for just uh uh learning that history.

Steve Stricker 25:35

Yeah, I mean it's it's uh we you know we see it growing up, you know, especially once you get on tour and you have that ability to make the team, you start to learn a little bit more about it. Uh, you know, I'm not a big history guy. I'm not a big, you know, go back and read the read the stuff, but I'll I'll watch it on TV. I'll watch the Pass Rider Cups. Um I uh I know how important it is as a player. I know how important it is as a competition. Uh it's it's uh I respect that. I I wanted to bring uh that respect to the competition and and be respectful of our competition, the European team. Um you know, it's something that is put in your hands and you don't want to screw it up kind of thing either, because there's a lot of people that are uh wanting, and they almost go overboard, right? Each of these the fan base from each side almost goes to the point of being overboard and too much. But uh so you have that riding on, and that's gotten worse over the last few events. But yeah, I think it's just um the history of the Ryder Cup uh is very important. We all know how important it is, and uh it's something you want to be a part of, and uh you know, especially as a captain, I never thought that opportunity would come my way, but I'm glad I I did it. I'm very humbled that I was able to do it, uh, but I'm also very glad that it's over.

Bruce Devlin 27:08

So in 2018, uh you were you were vice captain behind uh Jim Furick when uh when you guys lost at uh Le Golf Nationale.

Steve Stricker 27:19

Yep. Yeah, we got thumped. Um, you know, and again, we learned a lot from that as well. Um, you know, Jim Jim told me, you know, six months before the competition, he's like, uh, and he had played the he had played the course, and he's like, We need we need players like himself to make the team, like uh a Jim Fear kind of player, a Zach Johnson kind of player, Kevin Kiss Kisner, uh guys that hit it straight, uh, little bulldogs of of players, you know. And uh he knew that's what he needed on that team. And those guys that were close to there, Kisner, Zach, um guys like that, they just didn't step up their game when when Jim needed to see it towards the end of the season. So the bigger hitters were making the team, you know, and we needed guys that you know you know kept it in play, didn't make a lot of bogeys, players like that. And and um, so that he had to go with the guys that were playing well, and we've kind of learned that you know what, we gotta we gotta kind of find the guys that fit the golf course, and that's what we did at Whistling Straits, too. So again, we we learned from uh what happened there, and uh we hopefully apply it to more rider cups in the future, too.

Mike Gonzalez 28:43

You had an extra year to prepare.

Steve Stricker 28:47

Yeah, yeah, that uh I didn't I didn't like that extra year. It was uh it was it was a long time. I mean, it like I said, I'm glad it's over. Uh it was a wonderful experience, but it it took up a lot of my time. Uh a lot of my brain power is what it took up. And you know, you're constantly thinking about it, you're thinking about how you can uh do certain things, uh, you know, try to we, you know, practice rounds, you know, we got everybody there for practice. You're always thinking about, you know, how to make it a great competition and a great experience for your team. Um, so yeah, that extra year added you know, a few years onto my life, I think.

Bruce Devlin 29:36

Well, that was gonna be my next question. How much time uh did you actually spend during that period of time? I mean, hours and hours and hours uh over that over that three-year period. It had to be uh had to be very time consuming. Clothes, bags, all the rest of it.

Steve Stricker 29:57

You know, the PGA of America does a great job. Um, they they they can take care of everything if you want them to. Um, but we're involved. My wife was involved. Um, you know, but I I would say that it's you know, we have weekly calls when it gets closer to the competition, all that kind of stuff. But I think the biggest thing is it's just always on your mind. You know, I stayed out on that regular tour another, you know, three years, or at least another couple years, because I wanted to be out there and seeing the players and not not disappear and not be irrelevant out there on the regular tour. So I could have gone to the champions tour if I wasn't a the captain, I probably would have. Uh, but since I was a captain, I stayed out there, got to see these guys, you know, played practice rounds with some of them, got to know some of the younger players that were gonna make the team, played practice rounds with Zala Torres that ended up just missing out, but Colin Morikawa, you know, guys like that that I never, if I if I would have played the champions tour, I would have never seen them. So I felt that it was important to do that. And I think it was just the the brain power that you're always thinking about it, you know, what can I do? Um, you know, what what could motivate these guys, you know, and you feel a lot of pressure as the home captain to win. I mean, we should win at home. We always haven't, but we should. Um, so you're always just you know thinking about what you can do to to hopefully come out on top.

Mike Gonzalez 31:27

I'm sure like prepping for a major, Steve. You were planning to peak in the fall of 20 uh 20, you know, to get ready for this thing and then and then to have to reset the clock another year later. But as I recall, that uh that 2020 date was coming right on the heels of the US, the rescheduled U.S. Open, wasn't it?

Steve Stricker 31:51

Uh yes, it was. It was gonna be uh, I think a week off in between, or I mean, but it was it was gonna be close to the U.S. Open. Unfortunately, they they called off the Ryder Cup pretty far in advance, you know, where you know, we were able to redo the point system. Uh, we we took more picks. It was four picks, but it we took six. Uh, we decided to go with six picks instead of four, uh, which I think will continue uh for the next Ryder Cups. It turned out to be a really a good thing to be able to have that flexibility if you want. Um yeah, so it was it was um it was a challenge. It it was definitely definitely a challenge, but uh one that I wouldn't trade for.

Mike Gonzalez 32:39

So but before we jump into the competition itself, you've got to be as a proud Wisconsinite, you've got to feel really good about where golf is in the state of Wisconsin, with what's going on uh looking at Kohler, uh what's happened at Kohler, what's continuing to happen at Kohler with a new golf course in development, uh what's going on at Sand Valley with uh two courses there, two new courses coming on stream, uh Aaron Hills, the great Milwaukee area tracks that you know all about, and and other greats like Lasonia and Sentry World, you got to feel real good about golf in Wisconsin right now.

Steve Stricker 33:14

Yeah, it is kind of a golf hotspot. Uh you wouldn't think Wisconsin, you're you're uh you're gonna call it a golf hotspot, but you know, for the you know, seven months out of the year, um, we love our game. There's a lot of great courses. Uh Century World, as you mentioned, is gonna host a U.S. Senior Open uh, I think in 2023, next year. Um, yeah, and and all those courses you mentioned are all wonderful courses, and uh it's become a golf destination for sure. And and to to have the ability to play a rider cup at Herb's place, Herb Kohler uh at Whistling Strait, he's a friend of mine, and I've known him for a long time. And he's really kind of the the father of of of golf of what happened in the state of Wisconsin. You know, he he did what he did, and others kind of joined, joined in on that. And um, yeah, so it's it's got a lot of uh it's got a lot of history with some of the old courses, as you are wearing one of the shirts of. And then uh we've got all these brand new places going up all over the place in Wisconsin that uh get the attention of people coming to Wisconsin in the summertime, and it's a beautiful spot in the summer.

Bruce Devlin 34:30

So, Steve, I think I think the Ryder Cup last year is indicative of what's happened to this game of golf, too. When you look at the team that you had, I believe you might have had the youngest team that's ever played the Ryder Cup, and boy, have uh have they shown how good they are.

Steve Stricker 34:47

Yeah, and we're excited about the future for sure. I mean, they they uh they've they've proven themselves already at the biggest stages, you know. I mean, like Colin Morakawa, right? I mean, the guy is unflappable. Uh Bryson, uh Brooks Kepka. I mean, these guys have won uh Jordan Spieth, you know, all these guys have won the biggest events, and um, you know, they they're young, they get along with one another. Um, so I'm excited for what's in store, uh, hopefully what's in store, right? I mean, it's always uh always a challenge to go over to Europe and and try to win over there. We haven't won over there since 1993, so that shows you how hard it is for us to go over there and win. Um, but these guys, if if anybody can do it, it's this group of kids and players that are currently uh that were currently on that team, and there's still a bunch more that are you know right there in the wings gonna try to make the team. And uh so I'm excited.

Mike Gonzalez 35:48

I think I counted 13 majors across this group uh that was assembled last year for the for the Ryder Cup uh led by uh Brooks Kepka with four. Uh I'll just a quick uh quick uh aside on on Daniel Berger, who uh just happens to be top alphabetically on the list. But uh we were visiting with Ian Baker Finch uh not too long ago, and he recounted a story where he was playing with Daniel Berger uh just a little uh at a club or whatever, and uh and I they might have just been meeting, but he commented to to Baker Finch, he says, Yeah, he says, uh yeah, you you won something, didn't you? Yeah, maybe the open championship, you know, no big deal. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But a great group of young young guys, uh uh Bryce and De Chambeau. You might have seen this. I saw this in Golf magazine. Bruce, you're gonna love this if you didn't see it. They they listed Bryce and De Chambeau's stock yardages with each club. Now, granted, the loft on his clubs probably a little different than the lofts you carried, Bruce, in your bag, but uh uh stock yardage. Four iron stock yardage 264.

Bruce Devlin 37:07

That's ridiculous. That was my driver, best best of the day driver, 264.

Mike Gonzalez 37:13

Five wood, five wood, five wood stock yardage 306. Five wood.

Bruce Devlin 37:20

That's a joke, isn't it?

Mike Gonzalez 37:21

And and Steve, you witnessed this firsthand. I mean, you see it every day with some of these guys. It's uh it's it's unreal.

Steve Stricker 37:28

It's it's very impressive. Uh I can't get over how how hard they hit it and the sound of which they hit it, you know, is it's really impressive. They compress it so hard. All these guys go down and they they take pretty big divots and they compress the ball. And um, it's very impressive. It um Bruce, so that's sick, you know, to give you to give you an idea, that's probably okay. So he's swinging it at 225 miles an hour now, right?

Mike Gonzalez 37:59

Yeah.

Steve Stricker 37:59

So that's 60 or 70 miles per hour faster than probably what you and I would swing it as. You know, I'm in the low 160s.

Bruce Devlin 38:08

So I'm in, I'm in the I'm in the uh low 110s.

Steve Stricker 38:12

Okay. So so that's ball speed, right? So they say it's two to three miles or two to three yards per mile. Yeah. So he's out driving us by if it's just two, it's 130, 140 to 180 yards, you know, that he's out driving us.

Bruce Devlin 38:33

It's crazy.

Steve Stricker 38:34

It is crazy. Yeah.

Mike Gonzalez 38:36

Well, let's talk a little bit about the competition then, because uh it was uh, at least from a fan's perspective, uh a an easy win. I know the competition is tough. Uh it's generally never easy in the Writer Cup, but you got off to a great start on Friday, didn't you?

Steve Stricker 38:55

Yeah, we got off to a great start Friday, uh six and two, and then we come out and um we do the same in the morning, another three and one session session, so we're up nine to three, and then um yeah, is that what it was? Yeah, yeah, you're right.

Bruce Devlin 39:15

Then you split uh split in the afternoon.

Steve Stricker 39:19

Yeah, yep, so it was 11-5. Um yeah, it it um it we got off to a great start, and our thing was just to win every session. Um the the Saturday afternoon one kind of worried me the most. You know, it it's the end of two long days. Um I had to I was gonna send Jordan and and uh JT out there in the afternoon, and JT looked extremely tired in the morning, Saturday morning. Um that kid gives it all, you know. I mean, he's got he's got a lot of emotion, and you know, he looked tired. He started hitting some shots that didn't really look JT like, and and um, you know, even the caddy came up to me and said, listen, you know, he looks tired. He's probably should sit this afternoon. Uh another person, I think it was even uh a commentator, you know, said something to me. And then the assistant captain. So uh we had to break that up, that pairing up in the afternoon on Saturday, just because I wanted JT to rest and then get ready for singles. And uh so that that threw a little wrench into our plans, and you got to expect that, you know, every every team, there's something that's gonna happen that you're not really prepared for. And so we threw uh we threw another great pairing out there, Brooks and and Jordan. Um something that we didn't see coming, but we kind of had to make something up on the fly. And um, so anyways, we we split. And that was that was a good that was a good split in my mind on that Saturday afternoon just to just to keep some momentum and have that big lead going into Sunday.

Mike Gonzalez 41:01

So how how well did you sleep Sunda uh Saturday night?

Steve Stricker 41:06

Actually, I slept really well the whole the whole time. I you know, I felt like I I did so much preparing, um, had all these scenarios. Uh, and then once we made the pairing Saturday night, um, you know, it was over, basically in my mind that I could go out there and you know, I was still nervous about the outcome, obviously. Uh, but we had a good lead, but you know, it's still not over kind of thing. But at that point, there wasn't anything more I could do. I mean, we we made those pairings, and uh it was just to go out and cheer these guys on and uh watch golf and you know be there for support. But um, yeah, it was it was a lot of fun. It it was it was fun, and yet to, you know, I'm glad it's done.

Mike Gonzalez 41:54

A Ryder Cup for the ages. You were a great captain. It was a great competition. I think you're right. I think this young group could probably win a few more uh if they stay healthy and uh and so forth. Uh uh it may be under different captains because that's a lot of investment for any one person to make over a three-year period to prepare. But uh congratulations on that. Uh Bruce, uh sort of delighted that uh Steve could join us this morning. I hope we get a chance to come back with him and maybe tell the rest of his story.

Bruce Devlin 42:24

Yeah, we do too, Steve. We hope you can come back and uh we'll we'll concentrate on the wonderful career you've had as a player. And uh we thank you for your time today, and uh we wish you all the best uh in your coming years still playing golf. And I'm glad you're feeling better, buddy. That's great.

Steve Stricker 42:43

I appreciate that, Bruce. And I was always a fan of yours. I never really got to our eras didn't really cross the paths that much, but I I enjoyed watching you growing up as a kid, and and um so I'm delighted and humbled to be on your show as well. So thanks for having me, Mike, former Alni. Thanks for having me. And uh uh you guys keep doing what you're doing. It it uh you're doing a great job. Thank you. Stay well, friend. Yeah, you guys too.

Mike Gonzalez 43:10

Thank you, Steve, and good luck with comeback number three.

Steve Stricker 43:13

It went straight down the middle. I appreciate that. Take care, guys.

Mike Gonzalez 43:18

Thank you for listening to another episode of For the Good of the Game. And please, wherever you listen to your podcast on Apple and Spotify, if you like what you hear, please subscribe, spread the word, and tell your friends until we tee it up again for the good of the game.

Outro Music 43:42

It went smack down the fairway. It's like it's the flight. Yes, it went straight down the middle quite away.