Stricker's bogey-free streak has him in position for another win

Stan Badz/PGA TOUR

Steve Stricker has yet to make a bogey this week. Will he remain bogey-free in Monday's final round?

NORTON, Mass. -- It felt a little weird to bring up the streak. Was there some unwritten rule about it, like baseball has when a no-hitter's in progress? Were we supposed to stay as far away as possible from Steve Stricker for fear of jinxing his bogey-free streak? Did we need to stand at the other end of the ropes, give him plenty of space, act as if we were discussing restaurant choices for dinner?

After all, Stricker had just finished his third round of the Deutsche Bank Championship. His third bogey-free round. Fifty-four holes into this event, and the defending champ had yet to write anything but 13 birdies and 41 pars on his scorecard.

RELATED

Leaderboard
Rd. 4 Tee Times
Scorecard: Day
Daily Wrap-up
Live Report
Transcripts
Rd. 3 Photos
Notebook: Rd. 3

Third-round coverage

DAY'S DAY?: For the third time in a little more than three months, Jason Day is in position to win. Story MICKELSON'S MOMENT: For the second year in a row, Phil Mickelson hits the flag at No. 15 but with a far different outcome that has him near the lead. Story FEDEXCUP WRAP-UP: Here's a quick look at the latest FedExCup projections and implications following the third round. More

Did we dare bring up the topic with Stricker?

Curiosity won out. We had to know if he knew, if he was aware just how clean his first three rounds at TPC Boston had been.

So we asked. Steve, are you cognizant of the bogey-free streak?

"Yeah, I am," he said with just a hint of a smile.

Undaunted, we moved on. Not just bogey-free at TPC Boston this week, but bogey-free for his last 72 holes going back to the final round of The Barclays last week. We looked it up -- Stricker hadn't made a bogey since the 18th hole in the third round.

"No kidding?" he said. "Yeah, I forgot about that round. I knew I was bogey-free here. I had forgotten about Barclays."

And if you want to look at it another way, Stricker is actually bogey-free for his last 66 holes at TPC Boston. The last time he made a bogey here was on the sixth hole in the final round of 2009. He promptly answered with birdie on the next hole en route to winning the event.

This lengthy bogey-free streak is new territory for Stricker. He has never had a stretch like this in his career, never opened a tournament with three consecutive bogey-free rounds.

That he's still four shots off the pace set by Jason Day is a reflection more on the Aussie's spectacular performance than Stricker's inability to produce more birdies.

Day, in fact, had his own little bogey-free streak going, having gone 36 consecutive holes before stumbling on the 16th hole Sunday when he three-putted. As impressive as that streak is, it's only halfway to the current Stricker Streak in the last eight days.

"Stricker hasn't made a bogey all week? Oh, wow, that's really good," Day said, laughing at his understatement.

Of course, there will be no laughing on Labor Day. It will be serious business in Monday's final round, a chance for Day to win his second tournament of the year, a chance to position himself to win the FedExCup.

It will be serious business for Brandt Snedeker, his playing partner in the final pairing for the second consecutive day. Snedeker hasn't won this year, and he seems determined to make up for his gaffe in last year's Playoffs when he four-putted the 72nd hole at the BMW Championship, costing him a shot to make the final 30 and play at East Lake.

But it will be difficult for those two not to be looking over their shoulders on Monday. Stricker is tied for fourth, four shots off the pace, and he'll be playing in the penultimate group with Luke Donald.

Given his bogey-free streak, given the fact that TPC Boston fits him like a golf glove, given the fact that his nickname is Mr. September and that he's a proven winner while facing Playoffs pressure ... well, it's no big leap to think that Stricker's presence will loom large in the final round.

"Steve is an unbelievable player," Snedeker said. "He's been an unbelievable player for the last three or four years. He's got a chance, I think, to take over No. 1 this week if he wins.

"So I'm sure he's got a lot of motivation to go out there tomorrow."

Ah, yes, the No. 1 possibility. While most scenarios focus on Phil Mickelson moving ahead of Tiger Woods as the top player in the Official World Golf Ranking, there is a very realistic possibility that Stricker could be the big dog at the end of the day.

Currently No. 4 in the world, Stricker could leapfrog Woods, Mickelson and No. 3 Lee Westwood ... if Stricker wins, Mickelson finishes outside the top three and Woods finishes outside the top nine. Mickelson will enter the final round tied for sixth while Woods is tied for 23rd.

If Day steps into his recreation vehicle that he's living in near the course this week and starts worrying about his pursuers, first and foremost on his mind should be Stricker. But he said it won't happen, that he'll only concentrate on his own game and what he needs to do to win.

It's the same approach he'll take once he strikes his first shot Monday.

"I just have to kind of look away from the leaderboards and just keep giving it 100 percent and just keep playing my game," Day said. "I think if I don't worry about that, then I'll be all right."

Hopefully, Day won't look too closely into Stricker's numbers. Otherwise, he might get depressed about his chances of holding him off.

Not only has Stricker avoided making bogey, he really hasn't been in serious trouble. Outside of having to drain a 13-foot, 1-inch putt for par on the 12th hole in the second round, none of Stricker's par putts have been longer than five feet.

It's mind-blowing what Stricker has been able to accomplish this week. It's also mind-blowing what he's been able to accomplish at TPC Boston. In his last 15 rounds here, he's a cumulative 48 under.

And yet, because he's not in the lead, this week's 54 bogey-free holes leave him wanting.

Wanting another bogey-free round, of course.

Not since Lee Trevino won the 1974 Greater New Orleans Classic has there been a winner who has played bogey-free golf for 72 holes. But that's what it may take for Stricker to win on Monday and take control of these Playoffs.

"I'd like to do one more day," he said. "I'd like to go the whole tournament without a bogey."

So go ahead and talk about the streak. Discuss it with your friends, your family, your golf buddies. Stricker doesn't mind. He doesn't worry about jinxes.

He's just concentrating on winning. And he'll be the one casting a large shadow when the leaders tee of Monday.