JOHN DEERE CLASSIC

July 11, 2021

Steve Stricker

TPC Deere Run

Quick Quotes

Q. You've got to feel good about your performance.

STEVE STRICKER: Yeah. Disappointing to some degree. I had it really going yesterday, and then the rain came and I just stalled big time.

Came out today, hit it fine, just never really scored very well in those tougher conditions this morning when it was raining. Got behind the 8-ball, but I hit it nicely all week. At times just trouble getting it into the hole.

I had a real good opportunity yesterday making the turn at 5-under and I lipped out on No. 1 from probably 12 feet, and then I don't birdie No. 2. So I had an opportunity to get right into the thick of things, and I didn't. Kind of kicking myself for that.

An enjoyable week. Always fun to come here and play, and to be here at TPC Deere Run and the John Deere Classic is pretty special for me every year.

Q. You're a multiple-time champion here and you've contended here this week. Will you look back on this week when you're standing in front of some of those Ryder Cup meetings and talk about grinding it out in adverse conditions?

STEVE STRICKER: You know, just me playing out here in general I think adds a little bit more credibility to what I'm doing. Making cuts, but I want to do more than that. I still feel like I have a win in me out here. If I can get the putter going really; that's been kind of the main -- the problem for me lately.

I had a chance earlier in the year at Waste Management. I feel like I'm hitting it well enough to contend, to get in position to try to win. Doing it is another thing, too.

Yeah, any time I can come out here and play and be around some of the guys that are going to be on the team is always important for me.

Q. If we can get John May and Clair Peterson to guarantee four sunshiny days, will we see you the next 50 years at the John Deere Classic?

STEVE STRICKER: I hope I can come back. It all depends on that schedule on the Champions Tour and how my game is trending at the time probably. But yeah, I would love to come back here again.

Q. Just reflecting back on it's been a special week, especially with this being the 50th year, but what was it like having your wife out there and Bobbi out there?

STEVE STRICKER: Yeah, and that's what this is for us, it's a family thing for us. Our kids love to come still on the road, so hopefully that continues. My daughter Bobbi doing a little commentating with PGA TOUR Live, she really enjoyed that.

Just to see them grow up out here on TOUR has been special for us, and to have Nicki on the bag is always a treat for me. She hasn't caddied around here the last couple of times because it's been so hot and she's worried about making it around. It's a tough course to walk.

So I'm glad she was able to do that this year. She's been doing it quite a bit for me this year, and we have a great time doing it when we're out there.

Q. You hit that really nice birdie to finish off the round and that embrace with your arm around her and that look -- what was that like for you?

STEVE STRICKER: Well, she was telling me on the way up to the green that if you make birdie there, my youngest daughter, our youngest daughter, wanted me to reenact the emotion I had when I won with that same pin location.

So I had the opportunity to do it and I didn't do it, so that's kind of what we were chuckling about. But yeah, that pin location brought back a lot of good memories here, the exact same spot when I holed out to win out of the bunker and all that kind of stuff.

Yeah, to finish with a birdie is pretty cool.