Stricker starts new year by placing in top 5 twice

Star-Bulletin staff
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The myth that golfers who live in warm-weather climates have an advantage to open the PGA Tour season is quickly being disproved by Steve Stricker.

The four-time tour winner spent the holidays relaxing at home in frigid Madison, Wis., before heading out to Hawaii for the Mercedes-Benz Championship.

From the snow flurries to sunshine, Stricker's game somehow managed to stay consistent with a runner-up finish last week and a fourth-place showing in the Sony Open in Hawaii

"I'm pretty pleased with two top fives," he said. "Coming out of the snow and being able to hit some balls, I'm happy with my start."

Stricker ended last season second in the FedEx Cup standings with nine top-10 finishes and a victory at the Barclays.

He has enjoyed a renaissance of sorts over the past two years after a stretch in which he had just eight top-25 finishes from 2003 to '05. His victory at the Barclays was his first in six years and helped earn him earn more than $4 million in winnings last year.

"It's two good weeks to start the year," he said. "I'm happy with the results."

Stricker, who is third in the FedEx Cup standings after two events, will take the next two weeks off before playing in the FBR Open at the end of the month.

Sixteen shot swing hurts

Maybe it's a good thing that Tim Wilkinson's emotions don't stray too far from neutral.

The PGA rookie from New Zealand was overmatched in the final round and final group with winner K.J. Choi with an 8-over 78, one day after posting a blistering 8-under 62 to vault himself into contention in only his third PGA event ever.

After that round, Wilkinson, 29, maintained that he didn't have much in the way of expectations as far as placement. Considering where he ended up -- at 3-under 277, good for a tie for 25th and $39,598 earned -- compared to what he would have pulled in ($572,400) had he held on to second place, he was in a shockingly good mood walking off the 18th green.

"Today I just didn't play that badly, I just didn't make any putts today," a smiling Wilkinson said. "I think (being in the last group) will be a good experience; to do that in my first event this year. It's a long season, so it's good to get it over and done with now."

Ferrie withdraws

Kenneth Ferrie withdrew prior to Saturday's third round because of an illness. That in and of itself is not such a big thing, but given how he fits in with the new controversial cut policy, there might be an amendment in the future.

For those who fell on the number after Friday's round but were not allowed to play through to the weekend because there were too many golfers, they earned $9,805 for their troubles and 46 FedEx Cup points.

But even though Ferrie, who was 4 under prior to the start of the third round, outplayed them the first two days, under the PGA Tour's current policy, he gets no money and no points for withdrawing because of an illness.

Inside the numbers

Rory Sabbatini now has 11 runner-up finishes in his 10-year career. He lost to K.J. Choi by three shots yesterday, managing only his second top-25 finish here in nine appearances.

On the other hand, Jerry Kelly placing third is his fifth top 10 at the Sony Open in 11 appearances at Waialae Country Club. The course obviously agrees with him.

J.B. Holmes finished first in driving distance this week at 335.9 yards. Fred Funk was the most accurate off the tee at 71.43 percent. Chad Campbell hit the most greens in regulation at 76.39 percent and Paul Azinger was the best putter at 1.605 strokes per green.

The hardest hole yesterday was the par-4 second. Each day there was a different most difficult hole.

The scoring average at No. 2 yesterday was 4.485 with three birdies, 38 pars, 26 bogeys and one double bogey. The easiest was the par-5 ninth with a scoring average of 4.382. There were three eagles, 37 birdies, 27 pars and one bogey. The scoring average for the round was the highest of the week at 72.162.