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Steve Stricker wins at Colonial

Monday, 1 June 2009
Fergus Bisset
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Steve Stricker

Steve Stricker came through a playoff at Colonial Country Club to win the Crowne Plaza Invitational. The American made a birdie to see off his countryman Steve Marino and Tim Clark of South Africa at the second extra hole.

Tim Clark held a two-shot lead at Colonial with just five holes to play but he finished poorly, leaving a nine-foot putt short on the final green that would have won him the tournament in regulation play. He then pulled a short putt at the first extra hole to give Stricker and Marino a lifeline. On the second extra hole, Clark’s approach hit the pin but ended more than 20 feet away. He missed the putt allowing Stricker to knock his short birdie effort in to take the title.

“I can’t take anything positive from today.” Clark said. “I’ve a lot of work to do when it comes to closing out golf tournaments.

Stricker looked to have taken himself out of contention when he missed from four feet on the 16th hole and his chances seemed dead and buried when he found the rough behind the 17th green. But he chipped it in for a birdie. That was enough to see him into a playoff and it was on the 17th green again, that Stricker made the crucial birdie to win the title

“You need breaks to win, that's why winning is so special, so hard to do,” he said. “This is what my whole career has been about up. I've had to pull myself up when something hasn't gone my way.”

With the victory, Stricker moved second in the FedEx Cup points list and has climbed to eighth on the Official World Golf Ranking.

England's Paul Casey continued his good run of form, finishing alone in fifth spot.

Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial
Colonial Country Club, Fort Worth, Texas
May 28-31, purse $6,200,000, par 70

1   Steve Stricker (USA)   63   63   69   68   263   $1,116,000
T2   Tim Clark (RSA)       63   64   66   70   263   $545,600
T2   Steve Marino (USA)   66   67   62   68   263   $545,600
4   Jason Day (Aus)       65   65   65   69   264   $297,600
5   Paul Casey (Eng)       66   67   66   66   265   $248,000
T6   Woody Austin (USA)   63   68   67   68   266   $215,400
T6   Vijay Singh (Fij)       64   64   69   69   266   $215,400
8   Ian Poulter (Eng)       66   69   65   68   268   $192,200
T9   Jim Furyk (USA)       68   69   67   65   269   $161,200
T9   Zach Johnson (USA)   69   67   64   69   269   $161,200
T9   Kevin Na (USA)       66   68   66   69   269   $161,200
T9   Kevin Sutherland (USA) 66   67   68   68   269   $161,200

Note: Players in bold signifies Titleist ball usage only