PNC CHAMPIONSHIP

December 16, 2023

Steve Stricker

Izzy Stricker

The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club

Press Conference

DOUG MILNE: Steve, Izzy, thank you guys, 8-under today. Just a few comments about how much fun it was and how playing off each other, in spite of the weather, we got it all done.

IZZY STRICKER: It was a lot of fun. Having my mom and my sister was awesome --

STEVE STRICKER: And Nelly. It was a lot of fun. What a great pairing for us, for her to see what Nelly does and how she goes about her job and her work and what a great person she is, and her swing, we all marvel at her swing and how she plays the game.

So it was an unusual experience for Izzy to see that up close and personal and spend the day with her. I, too, was taking a lot of notes. She's a wonderful person and a great player and fun to watch.

Q. What was the nerve level like?

IZZY STRICKER: The first hole, I was like numb. But I calmed down actually really well. I wasn't nervous that bad like the whole day but first hole I was definitely nervous.

Q. Where did the tee shot go?

IZZY STRICKER: Straight.

Q. Where were you when you learned of the pairing?

IZZY STRICKER: When did we find that out? Thursday maybe, Pro-Am.

Q. And your reaction?

IZZY STRICKER: I was excited. I was actually hoping it would be her just because another girl in the field, and I've looked up to her and what she's accomplished is amazing.

Q. What's it like for you to watch Nelly up close?

STEVE STRICKER: Yeah, again, that was the first time I've played with her. Obviously when I help the girls with their swing, we pull her swings and videos up of her swings a lot and show the kids her positions in the golf swing and I mean, she is got one of the best things in the game of golf. You know, men or women.

So it was fun to watch that. I was grinding to make sure that I could hit it past her on a few holes. She got me once and she let me know it, too. So from that point on, I swung a little bit harder to make sure I could get it past her but she's got some length. She hits some great shots -- and her dad was wonderful, too. It was a nice day. A lot of fun.

Q. Where did she get you?

STEVE STRICKER: Par 5, No. 5.

Q. How did the rest of the hole go?

STEVE STRICKER: We both made birdies. They birdied the first -- yeah, everybody birdied.

Q. What's the best advice your dad has given you about dealing with nerves in pressure situations?

IZZY STRICKER: Staying in my own bubble. Not looking at what is surrounding me. This is obviously different than what I've played in. There's no crowd or no people or anything like that. So this is different but just kind of being me and staying in my zone.

Q. What's the single-most nervous you've ever been on a golf course?

STEVE STRICKER: Mine? The first Masters I played in for sure.

Q. Was that '96 or '95?

STEVE STRICKER: '95 or '96. One of those years in there. Yeah, I can remember teeing it up on the first hole there. Legs were shaking pretty good. And I shot 80 I think. I shot 80 in the first round. I didn't handle it very well.

Q. In terms of nervous level that would be greater than your first Ryder Cup in' '08 or something like that?

STEVE STRICKER: That was pretty nerve-wracking, too. Probably pretty similar but I just remember, I sat out the morning session in that Ryder Cup in '08. So I was able to kind of take it in a little bit. And I -- that was 14 years into my career, too, so you kind of learn to deal with it. That first Masters for me was two or three years into my career.

Q. What was it about it that did that to you?

STEVE STRICKER: I don't know. Just the hype that you hear about it. You know you've never experienced. Obviously I was there for the practice rounds and all that, but just the whole history of the Masters. And you want to play well, right. I can't even remember when I teed it up with that first round, but it wasn't pretty. But it was a lot of fun, but that was probably the most nerve-wracking.

Q. You kind of touched on it but what is the largest gallery that you've played in front of before today?

IZZY STRICKER: Probably high school state stuff. But nothing obviously like this. There was no, like, gallery or grandstands or anything like that. But high school state.

Q. Difficult to make that adjustment?

IZZY STRICKER: Yeah. Yeah.

Q. Has your mom caddied for you before and is she tougher on you?

IZZY STRICKER: She caddied over the summer. She keeps me office and she's a good person to have in your ear?

Q. Can you comment on the progression of Izzy's game and what her strengths are.

STEVE STRICKER: Yeah, her last or two, she's really grown mentally. Physically she's getting stronger. She works out a lot. Her swing has gotten more solid. She's one of those players that -- we'll work on little things here and there, but she understands it. She can switch on a dime and really turn a swing position around and start to get it really quick.

So that part is really cool but I think she's just really mature, too. Her temperament has been really good the last couple years, and I think just her all-around game is really solid from the tee ball all the way to the green. There's things that we continue to talk about that she needs to improve on. Distance control with short irons, better wedge play, and obviously up around the green, you can never be good enough around the green.

We watched Nelly today. She's got an unusual short game, and that's kind of the stuff that Izzy is going to have to progress to, and she's capable for sure. It's just getting the time in and the reps in but her whole game has been really solid the last year.

Q. They are doing a piece on pet peeves, if you could give us one little pet peeve about your dad. We asked Tiger and he said the way Charlie looks at his phone couldn't stay drives me crazy. Just a little pet peeve.

IZZY STRICKER: Today honestly how much time he takes thinking about what club he's going to hit. Like back and forth, switches clubs eight times, I swear. That gets annoying.

STEVE STRICKER: There's a lot of pet peeves. I think -- I'm going to lump all -- the other daughter and Nikki into this, is just them telling me what to do. I think that's a pet peeve. There's sometimes where I'm like, "Dad should have the say. He should be able to say this is what's going to happen." I get overruled 95 percent of the time.

So I'm learning to bite my tongue and -- oh, you're here? You guys overrule me all the time. See, she just did again. (Laughter)

So it's something that I've learned to grow with, and I just go with the flow now. I just shut up.

DOUG MILNE: You're a smart man. Thank you, guys.