Robert Karlsson opened with a 62 on Thursday, the best round of the week at Minnehaha Country Club in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Steve Stricker went 64-64 over the weekend. By late Sunday, the two found themselves tied at 14 under and locking horns in a playoff at the Sanford International.
Karlsson was tied for the lead at 10 under with Jeff Maggert after 36 holes and Sunday, after birdies on Nos. 16 and 17, had a chance to win in regulation with one more birdie but ended up with a par at the last.
Stricker, who won this event in 2018, shot his 17th straight round of par or better and his 12th straight such round at the Sanford on Sunday.
Soak it in, @SteveStricker 💪 He defeats Robert Karlsson in a playoff to win @SanfordIntl. pic.twitter.com/3giJ2zNW1T
— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) September 18, 2022
He made quick work of the playoff with a birdie on the first extra hole, the par-4 18th, for his 10th win, and third this season, on the PGA Tour Champions.
“It didn’t break as much in regulation because I was a little bit, I don’t know what happened there, it just kind of rode high. So I had a good feeling for the speed here in the playoff,” he said. “You’re trying to hit a good putt, it’s a tough putt to make, but fortunate that it went in. It was a cool feeling. To make a putt last hole in a playoff in front of all these people is pretty cool.”
Stricker can now turn his sights on Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina, for the Presidents Cup, where he will be an assistant captain starting Monday.
Fred Couples, also a 2022 assistant captain, closed his week in Sioux Falls by going backdoor on a closing birdie to shoot a final-round 72.
Fireworks for @FredCouplesGolf 💥
Great way to cap off the weekend @SanfordIntl. pic.twitter.com/EUJRyTN1qH
— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) September 18, 2022
Couples joins Stricker, Zach Johnson and first-timer Webb Simpson as assistants alongside captain Davis Love III at the Presidents Cup. Couples tied for 38th.
Charles Schwab Cup points leader Steve Alker finished for tied for 58th after a final-round 76.
Colin Montgomerie withdrew from the Sanford before the start of the second round. John Daly withdrew during the second round.
