Steve Stricker earned his 12th PGA TOUR Champions title Saturday at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai. He carded a a three-day total of 23 under par for a six-stroke victory over Steven Alker, Mike Weir, Ken Tanigawa and Darren Clarke.
Stricker began the final round at Hualalai with a two-stroke lead over Alex Cejka and showed no intention of slowing down. He made three birdies in his first four holes and added birdies on Nos. 10 and 13 after the turn. An eagle at the par-5 14th was further gains as he cruised home.
“It was a lot of fun,” said Stricker after completing his final round. “To win here, I didn’t know what kind of game I had coming into this week, but it was pretty good.”
This is Stricker’s fifth victory in his last 11 starts on PGA TOUR Champions, continuing a remarkable comeback from a mysterious illness suffered in fall 2021, which caused him to lose 25 pounds and required two separate hospital stints.
He now leads the season-long Charles Schwab Cup standings, perhaps becoming the early favorite to win the Cup in 2023.
Stricker also makes history with a second-round, 12-under 60 at Hualalai GC, becoming just the second player to record scores of 60 or better on both the PGA TOUR and PGA TOUR Champions.
Next stop on the PGA Tour Champions is the Trophy Hassann II at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam, Rabat, Morocco, February 9-11.
