MADISON, Wisconsin — It’s easy to tell which hole Jerry Kelly and Steve Stricker are on at University Ridge.
The hometown heroes naturally draw the largest flocks of spectators at the PGA Tour Champions’ American Family Insurance Championship.
As Stricker walked up to the first tee Friday morning, the Edgerton native and Madison resident drew a hearty applause from the public bleachers, which were back on the course after capacity was limited at last year’s event. Before he was introduced to the crowd, Stricker and his wife/caddie, Nicki, talked to a few friendly faces in the gallery and handed out hugs.
A few minutes after Stricker and his group started their round, Kelly made his way to No. 1 to the same warm reception from the crowd despite a slight drizzle.
The two old friends are inextricably linked, especially when it comes to the tournament in which Stricker is the host and Kelly is the two-time defending champion. And this year they have even more reasons to be thankful to be together in their home state.
The 55-year-old Stricker has endured some well-documented health issues, including mysterious ailments that hospitalized him last fall and a positive COVID-19 test that knocked him out of the Senior PGA Championship a few weeks ago. Kelly, 55, has been playing with a preoccupied mind in recent years as his wife, Carol, was diagnosed with cancer.
“We’ve been friends for a lot of years,” Stricker said before the tournament. “I was just telling somebody else we played junior golf together back in the early ’80s and that’s a long time ago all of a sudden.
“But we love his family. Carol’s been going through some tough times and so we’ve been trying to help and be there for them for that. They have a boy that’s a similar age to our oldest, so we’ve always been friends.”
Carol just got a clean scan after having a cancerous right kidney removed in October, and Kelly is coming off a victory in the Principal Charity Classic in Des Moines, Iowa.
So there’s a lot of emotion this weekend and it’s hard for Stricker and Kelly to focus strictly on golf.
Steve Stricker not happy about finish to Friday’s round
Kelly shot a 4-under par 68 and was three shots behind first-round leader Steve Flesch. Stricker shot a 1-under 71 after a double-bogey on No. 17.
“It’s a busy week for sure but that’s no excuse,” a frustrated Stricker said after his round. “I should be able to go out there and put it behind me and play. But I didn’t today. Two more rounds and I’m going to have to shoot something pretty special both the rounds to get in there.”
Steve Stricker hits from a sand trap on the first hole on Friday.
Stricker is still trying to find his groove after losing almost 30 pounds in the last year, even though he won the Regions Tradition major last month.
“I’ve been drained for a while, since last November I think,” Stricker said. “I’m not quite there yet physically yet. There’s some good days and bad days yet.
“Yeah, it is what it is. I keep trying. I’m getting better, there’s no question. I feel good. My body isn’t reacting sometimes very well. That’s not the excuse today. I actually played pretty poorly, but managed my game around pretty well.”
Jerry Kelly is seeking his third consecutive win at the American Family Insurance Championship
Kelly won last year’s American Family Insurance Championship, which was played over a hot few days. That won’t be the case this year after several days of rain softened the course.
“It isn’t really cool but wet,” Kelly said. “It’s just not hot and fast so the ball’s not going as far. So it played a little longer than it normally does.”
Kelly finished strong with two birdies and an eagle on his last five holes. He hopes to carry that momentum over to Saturday and keep him in the mix for a Madison three-peat. Kelly also won the 2019 event — there wasn’t one in 2020 due to the pandemic — in a playoff with Stricker and Retief Goosen.
“I’m looking forward to the putting session, the range session tomorrow morning and lock in some of the things that I started feeling again that felt fantastic,” Kelly said. “Yeah, I’m definitely going to enjoy cooking and cracking open something (Friday night).”
The affable Kelly seemed loose after his round, a good sign considering the stress of the last year.
“I know I have more fun in Wisconsin,” he said with a smile. “I mean, why wouldn’t you? Spotted Cow and cheese curds? I mean, come on, yaderhey.”
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