Steve Stricker, who has already clinched the season-long points race on the PGA Tour’s Champions circuit, is not playing in its finale because of a “personal emergency” with his father.
Stricker, who’s won six times this season on the Champions tour, revealed the reasoning via a 250-word note released just ahead of the Charles Schwab Cup Championship. According to Wisconsin Golf, Stricker’s 86-year-old father, Bob, was admitted on Monday to a hospital in Wisconsin, where Stricker is from.
Below is the complete message [click on the arrow on the right side of the photo]:
“Unfortunately, I will be withdrawing from this week’s Charles Schwab Cup Championship. I was eagerly looking forward to competing in this event and capping off this season, which has been an incredibly special one for me, but a personal emergency has come up that requires me to stay home.
“My father was admitted to the hospital on Monday afternoon. He is currently receiving care and it is important that I am here for my family during this challenging time.
“I understand that my absence is disappointing, and I sincerely apologize to the PGA Tour Champions staff, volunteers, fellow players, fans and title sponsor Charles Schwab. While it saddens me that I will not be able to compete in Phoenix this week, family must always come first, and I hope you can understand my decision to prioritize my father’s well-being during this difficult time.
“I would like to express my gratitude for the tireless efforts of the PGA Tour Champions staff, tournament directors and sponsors this season, who have provided us with the opportunity to participate in a season-long race that has been nothing short of exceptional. I am truly grateful for the support and encouragement I have received throughout the season.
“Finally, I want to extend my best wishes to all the players playing in the season finale. I will be following the event from afar, cheering for my friends and fellow competitors.
“I appreciate your understanding and support during this time and look forward to seeing everyone again soon.”
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This year, Stricker assembled one of the more dominant Champions circuit seasons. He won six events, including three of the tour’s five majors (Regions Tradition, Senior PGA Championship and the Kalig Companies Championship), and he finished runner-up in five tournaments, including the U.S. Senior Open Championship, another major, held in Wisconsin. Stricker also played 55-straight rounds at par or better at one point.
All of it gave him an insurmountable lead in the season-long points race, despite not playing in a Champions event since early last month.
“We’re all at that age in our lives, we’ve a lot going on, it’s part of life,” Padraig Harrington said ahead of the tournament. “We feel for Steve. I’m sure he would have loved to have been here and take a bow for his great year.
“But there’s more important things than golf, family comes ahead of it, and he’s definitely doing the right thing staying at home. We wish him and his family and his father all the best. As we know, family definitely comes ahead of golf.
“We still all admire the year he’s had. It would have been nice for him to be able to spin around here and wave at the crowds and, as I said, take a bow for his great play this year, but we all know how well he played and he’s thoroughly deserving as the winner of the Schwab Cup.”
