Steve Stricker’s sensational season shows no signs of slowing

As PGA TOUR Champions heads into the final third of the 2023 schedule, 56-year-old Steve Stricker is in the midst of one of the greatest individual seasons in the history of the Champions Tour. Here’s a closer look at his dominance in majors and a by-the-numbers breakdown of his performance in 2023:

Dominance in majors

With his victory at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio, in July – his last start on PGA TOUR Champions – Stricker became the fourth player in Champions Tour history to win three majors in a season. Stricker won the Regions Tradition (May 11-14), KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship (May 25-28) and Kaulig Companies Championship (July 13-16). In his only other major start in 2023, Stricker finished second at the U.S. Senior Open (June 29-July 2). He did not play in The Senior Open Championship presented by Rolex (July 27-30).

Stricker increased his majors total on PGA TOUR Champions to seven with his three titles in 2023. He passed several on the all-time major wins list during his recent stretch including World Golf Hall of Fame members Lee Trevino (four), Raymond Floyd (four), Arnold Palmer (five) and Tom Watson (six).

Stricker has won nearly half of his starts in majors on PGA TOUR Champions with a winning percentage of 41.2%. It is the highest among players with seven or more starts in senior majors, and nearly double the winning percentage of No. 2 Alex Cejka (21.4%).

(Note: Among players with seven or more starts)

Historic season

Stricker’s five victories in 2023 are tied for the 14th-most in a single season on PGA TOUR Champions. Since 2000, only two players have more wins in a season on the Champions Tour: Bernhard Langer (seven wins in 2017) and Larry Nelson (six wins in 2000).

Including last year, Stricker is the reigning champion at eight events. In addition to his five victories this season, Stricker won three events in 2022 that haven’t been played yet in 2023.

Through 13 starts in 2023, Stricker has earned $3,593,060 to build a commanding lead in the Charles Schwab Cup standings. He is $84,300 away from setting the single-season record for money earned on PGA TOUR Champions. The current record of $3,677,359 was set by Langer in 2017.

This season, Stricker has a lead of $1,933,705 over Charles Schwab No. 2 Langer, which is larger than Langer’s lead over the player in last place ($1,658,239).

Through 43 rounds in 2023, Stricker is on pace to set the single-season scoring average record on PGA TOUR Champions. His 67.44 scoring average is ahead of the current record (67.96), set by Fred Couples in 2010.

(Note: Stricker’s 2023 scoring average through 13 starts is 67.44.)

Stricker vs. The field

In his 13 starts this season on PGA TOUR Champions, Stricker has beaten or tied 1,101 of 1,121 competitors (98.22%). He has finished in the top two in 10 of 13 starts (76.9%).

In his last six starts, all top-two finishes, Stricker has beaten or tied 616 of 618 competitors (99.68%).

Where Stricker stacks up in the world of golf

In two of the ranking systems that include all players in the world, Stricker is ranked inside the top 50. He is ranked 50th in the world by Data Golf and 26th in the world by The Universal Golf Rankings (TUGR).

The Data Golf Rankings are determined by averaging the field-strength adjusted scores of each golfer across professional and amateur tournaments, with more recent rounds receiving more weight.

The TUGR is determined by head-to-head scores, player-by-player over the past 18 months, and the output is relative strokes per round to the best player in the world.

Stricker’s streaks

Stricker has an active streak of 17 consecutive top-10 finishes on PGA TOUR Champions, which ranks tied for fourth on the all-time list, and is the longest streak on the Champions Tour since Langer in 2013-14. Stricker is 19 away from tying the PGA TOUR Champions record, set by Don January (1980-84).

Stricker has an active streak of six consecutive top-two finishes on PGA TOUR Champions, which ranks second on the all-time list. He’s one away from tying the PGA TOUR Champions record, set by Don January in 1983.

(*denotes active streak)

Earlier this season, Stricker set the record for most consecutive rounds of par or better across all PGA TOUR-sanctioned tours with 55. His streak, which started with a 6-under 65 in the final round of the 2022 U.S. Senior Open, was snapped with a 1-over-par 71 in the first round of the 2023 U.S. Senior Open.

(Note: none are active streaks)