Stricker still hurting from Ryder Cup collapse

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MADISON - Madison golfer Steve Stricker says he’s still hurting over his inability to score a point for the U.S. team at the Ryder Cup two months ago. In fact, he tells PGA Tour.com that he had trouble sleeping for two weeks, after the Americans allowed Europe to tie for the largest comeback in Ryder Cup history.

Stricker said the loss hurt him more than anything in his 24 years on the PGA Tour – including the times he lost his full-season card. Stricker and Tiger Woods went 0-and-3 in team play at the Ryder Cup near Chicago. Then in the final one-on-one matches, Stricker’s loss to Germany’s Martin Kaymer gave the Europeans a one-point victory. He said the worst moment for him was on the 17th hole on the final day, when Stricker shot past the green and failed to make a par-three. Kaymer made his par to go one-up – and he never gave Stricker a chance to catch up. Stricker never had a lead bigger than one-up in any of his four Ryder Cup matches – and he trailed throughout most of his contests. He says he has not watched a video of those matches, nor does he plan to. And Stricker says it’s too early to consider whether he’d want to play in the next Ryder Cup in 2014. He says it’s not a fair question right now.

Stricker has not played any golf since the Ryder Cup in late September. But he’s one of 18 players teeing it up today at the World Challenge in Thousand Oaks California. Stricker and Woods are playing their first round together in the 72-hole event. Their tee time was set for 12:17.

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