Eighth Hole - Steve Stricker Aces His Way Into Memorial Lead Reuters

By Mark Lamport-Stokes

DUBLIN, Ohio Fri Jun 3, 2011 8:49pm EDT

DUBLIN, Ohio (Reuters) - American Steve Stricker saved just the second aide of their PGA Tour profession Friday along at the Memorial tournament, and this one might harvest wealthier achievements as compared to his or her first.

Fourteen a long time ago, he acquired a car intended for his hole-in-one at the known par-three 16th along at the Phoenix Open but compatriot Steve Jones took to be able to acquire this tournament.

Stricker's magnificent plus reasonable aide Friday served the pup grab a three-shot guide following on from the second round at Muirfield Village Golf Club and could pave the particular means intended for his 10th PGA Tour title.

"It's some sort of worry whenever you identify that go in, obviously, nevertheless in a very very good way," Stricker informed reporters about his six-iron from 186 meters in the par-three eighth , his penultimate hole. "A good way to finish the actual round."

The 44-year-old proceeded to birdie his very last problem for your five-under-par 67, in addition to then passed his ball towards group's official scorer with no creating clear it was before the actual advisor ball.

"I closed this along with bought them for you to my scorer," Stricker reported after completing at nine-under 135, about three prior to Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy (72), Australian Rod Pampling (66) plus Americans Ricky Barnes (70) and Jonathan Byrd (67).

"I are not aware of whenever he knows. I decided not to tell him. It's just simply your ball."

What created Friday's ace especially memorable intended for Stricker seemed to be which the eighth target from Muirfield Village possesses certainly not already been style to your ex boyfriend from the past.

"That taken has usually offered me having difficulties on the years," the earth range eight said. "It's simply a hard par three. There's not a lot of room there that will hit it.

"What I had going for me there seems to be just a little tiny left-to-right wind plus I draw that tennis ball thus I could essentially hold the idea way up in opposition to the wind. It started off away from right on the problem along with gone in."

GRANDSTAND ATMOSPHERE

Stricker vividly recalls his first PGA Tour ace around Phoenix at the noisiest problem in playing golf wherever 1000's regarding spectators cram into your bleachers and atmosphere packing containers to produce a new highly charged grandstand atmosphere.

"But of which day I had teed off for the returning eleven first, thus at this time there weren't considerably associated with folks there," your dog reported which has a smile. "That seemed to be the identical year or so that will Tiger (Woods) manufactured his or her ace."

Woods registered his or her hole-in-one within the former round to help ignite rowdy get together through the fans. Television video footage associated with this minute has been replayed repeatedly with the years.

"You decided not to find my own that year?" Stricker dead-panned. "No?"

However Stricker trumped Woods in which year through winning a car regarding his / her efforts because his ace came in the last round.

"It has been an Oldsmobile Aurora," he or she recalled. "I applied it for your measure then traded the idea set for a minivan."

(Editing by simply Julian Linden)