Stricker Christened Future Star After 8-Stroke Win At Western

Steve Stricker. Superstar. After conquering one of the PGA Tour’s most challenging courses in Lemont, Ill., defeating a talented Western Open field by eight strokes and pocketing one of the golf’s largest paychecks, there seems no limit to what he might accomplish.

“People would ask who I thought was the next superstar and I said Steve Stricker,” Billy Andrade said Sunday after wrapping up a 10-under-par showing that was only good for a second-place tie with Jay Don Blake. Said Lee Janzen, who was paired with Stricker on Sunday but finished 10 strokes back: “He can be the number one player in the world.”

Stricker shot an 18-under 270 in winning his second tournament in six weeks. His victory margin tied the largest on tour this season and was the biggest in the Western Open in 44 years. It marked only the sixth time in the event’s 93-year history that the champion won by at least eight strokes.

At Sylvania, Ohio, second-round leader Joan Pitcock shot 1-under-par 70 and held off a charge by Marianne Morris to win the $575,000 LPGA Jamie Farr Kroger Classic for her first tour victory.

Pitcock, who held a three-stroke lead entering the final round of the 54-hole tournament, finished at 9-under 204. That was one shot better than Morris.

Tracy Hanson of Rathdrum tied for 9th with 209 after a 72. She earned $14,322.

In Dublin, Ireland, Andrew Oldcorn double-bogeyed the final hole to hand victory to Colin Montgomerie in the Irish Open. Montgomerie, two strokes behind with two holes to play, rolled in a 25-foot birdie putt on the 17th and parred the 18th for a 68 to card a 5-under total of 279.