MEDINAH, Ill. - One is the greatest golfer of his generation, and perhaps of all-time.
The other is a soft-spoken deer hunter from Edgerton.
On the course, Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker should have nothing in common. Off the course, they surely don't. Yet the 36-year-old with 14 major championships and the 45-year-old with three John Deere Classic titles have developed a partnership Felix and Oscar could appreciate.
"We are friends and we get along with one another and we have a good time with one another," said Stricker, who lives in Madison. "It's always fun to go out with a friend. It's a good time and there's a lot of fun, and like I say a lot of pressure to go along with it but we have a good time with it."
The two have represented the United States in four different team competitions – the 2007, 2009 and 2011 Presidents Cups and the 2010 Ryder Cup.
Recent World Golf Hall of Fame inductee Fred Couples was the first American captain to pair the two at the 2009 Presidents Cup at Harding Park in San Francisco. There was immediate chemistry, as they went 4-0 in helping the U.S. to a 19 ½ - 14 ½ victory over the International squad.
Not wishing to mess with a good thing, 2010 U.S. Ryder Cup captain Corey Pavin paired them at Celtic Manor in Wales. The duo went 2-1 in a one-point U.S. loss. They beat Ian Poulter and Ross Fisher in fourball and Miguel Angel Jimenez and Peter Hanson in foursomes.
Their first defeat was an ugly one however, a 6 & 5 demolition at the hands of Lee Westwood and Luke Donald.
Couples began the 2011 Presidents Cup pairing them as well, but after Adam Scott and K.J. Choi handily won 7 & 6 in final match of the morning foursomes, Couples shook things up. While the U.S. won the tournament easily, Woods and Dustin Johnson went 1-2 while Stricker and Matt Kuchar went 1-1.
Despite to bad losses in their last two matches together, Woods and Stricker are 6-2 overall together and U.S. captain Davis Love III couldn't help but send the duo off to finish today's foursomes matches.
"They play very well together," Love III said. "So, again, I didn't go back and study Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker's record before I put them together. They wanted to play together and they have done pretty well together, so going to let them go."
In nine team competitions from 1997 to 2009, Woods had amassed an unspectacular and puzzling 14-22-1 record with a variety of partners. In comes Stricker and a complete turnaround.
"Yeah, I don't know why guys have struggled," Stricker said. "You know, I've enjoyed playing with him. We've had a good time. We've had some good matches, and we've gotten beat up a couple of times, too. But it's always fun. We get along very well together."
Added Woods: "We know each other's game, and we practice a lot together at tournaments. We play practice rounds together. We're very comfortable out there. We know what to expect from each other. There are no hidden surprises out there for us. We've been through a lot of matches together and have played a lot together, so we're fine."
This tournament is golf's ultimate team competition, and the American squad needs its dynamic duo to once again be in top form for a return of the Cup.
Team USA @RyderCupTeamUSA
Captain Assistant captains Players Could have been my most favorite moment of my career today when I walked to the 1st t and heard that crowd Let's go #CHICAGO!
— Keegan Bradley (@Keegan_Bradley) September 26, 2012
Jason Dufner @jasondufner All @nfl fans watch the Ryder Cup this week, we got no refs. #USA
— bubba watson (@bubbawatson) September 25, 2012
Team Europe @RyderCupTeamEUR
Captain Vice captains Players Great day out at Medinah, as long as the weather is decent expect to see plenty of birdies flying about next week. #softgreens#norough
— Luke Donald (@LukeDonald) September 17, 2012
Sergio Garcia @TheSergioGarcia Team Europe shirt for today has the Chicago skyline on the back!!! Should be a crowd pleaser!#winthecrowd moby.to/6559u8
— Graeme McDowell (@Graeme_McDowell) September 26, 2012 Rory McIlroy @McIlroyRory The Ryder Cup bags look awesome this year with Seve on them. Great job guys lovely touch. Lets do it in pure Seve style.
— Ian Poulter (@IanJamesPoulter) September 25, 2012
David Love III @Love3d
Fred Couples, Mike Hulbert, Jeff Sluman, Scott Verplank
Keegan Bradley @Keegan_Bradley
Jim Fuyrk
Dustin Johnson @DJohnsonPGA
Zach Johnson @ZachJohnsonPGA
Matt Kuchar
Phil Mickelson
Brandt Snedeker
Webb Simpson @webbsimpson1
Steve Stricker
Bubba Watson @bubbawatson
Tiger Woods @TigerWoods
Jose Maria Olazabal
Miguel Angel Jimenez, Paul McGinley, Thomas Bjorn, Darren Clarke @DarrenClarke60
Nicolas Colsaerts @Coelsss
Luke Donald @LukeDonald
Peter Hanson
Martin Kaymer
Paul Lawrie
Graeme McDowell @Graeme_McDowell
Francesco Molinari
Ian Poulter @IanJamesPoulter
Justin Rose @JustinRose99
Lee Westwood @WestwoodLee
Jim Owczarski is an award-winning sports journalist and comes to Milwaukee by way of the Chicago Sun-Times Media Network.
A three-year Wisconsin resident who has considered Milwaukee a second home for the better part of seven years, he brings to the market experience covering nearly all major and college sports.
To this point in his career, he has been awarded six national Associated Press Sports Editors awards for investigative reporting, feature writing, breaking news and projects. He is also a four-time nominee for the prestigious Peter J. Lisagor Awards for Exemplary Journalism, presented by the Chicago Headline Club, and is a two-time winner for Best Sports Story. He has also won numerous other Illinois Press Association, Illinois Associated Press and Northern Illinois Newspaper Association awards.
Jim's career started in earnest as a North Central College (Naperville, Ill.) senior in 2002 when he received a Richter Fellowship to cover the Chicago White Sox in spring training. He was hired by the Naperville Sun in 2003 and moved on to the Aurora Beacon News in 2007 before joining OnMilwaukee.com.
In that time, he has covered the events, news and personalities that make up the PGA Tour, LPGA Tour, Major League Baseball, the National Football League, the National Hockey League, NCAA football, baseball and men's and women's basketball as well as boxing, mixed martial arts and various U.S. Olympic teams.
Golf aficionados who venture into Illinois have also read Jim in GOLF Chicago Magazine as well as the Chicago District Golfer and Illinois Golfer magazines.
