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 recorded just the next sage regarding his PGA Tour career Friday on the Memorial tournament, which you are able to reap richer rewards in comparison with his first.

Fourteen decades ago, he gained a motor vehicle regarding his or her hole-in-one along at the notorious par-three 16th on the Phoenix Open however compatriot Steve Jones took to help succeed the particular tournament.

Stricker's amazing and reasonable aide Friday helped him grab a three-shot steer after the second round during Muirfield Village Golf Club and could pave the way in which for his / her 10th PGA Tour title.

"It's a shock when you see that will move in, obviously, but in a very good way," Stricker told reporters about his six-iron from 186 back yards on the par-three eighth , his penultimate hole. "A smart way to complete that round."

The 44-year-old continued to help birdie his or her final hole to get a five-under-par 67, along with then passed his basketball towards group's endorsed scorer without doing clear ?t had been the ace ball.

"I closed this and also afforded the item in order to my scorer," Stricker mentioned after finishing during nine-under 135, some in front of Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy (72), Australian Rod Pampling (66) as well as Americans Ricky Barnes (70) along with Jonathan Byrd (67).

"I do not know if he knows. I failed to say to him. It's just a ball."

What manufactured Friday's ace especially terrific for Stricker ended up being that will that eighth problem at Muirfield Village offers for no reason recently been sort to help him or her inside past.

"That shot offers always given me together with issues with the years," the entire world amount nine said. "It's just a troublesome par three. There's not a great deal connected with room generally there in order to hit it.

"What I possessed deciding on myself there is slightly bit of a left-to-right breeze in addition to I draw the actual golf ball therefore I could pretty much maintain that upwards from the wind. It started out proper along at the hole along with journeyed in."

GRANDSTAND ATMOSPHERE

Stricker vividly recalls their very first PGA Tour ace throughout Phoenix on the noisiest hole around the game of golf where 1000s of spectators cram into the bleachers and heavens containers to generate a very costed grandstand atmosphere.

"But this day time I have teed off to the back again nine first, so now there had not been a great deal of folks there," your dog explained along with a smile. "That was identical year that will Tiger (Woods) created his ace."

Woods registered his hole-in-one within the previous spherical in order to ignite rowdy celebration from your fans. Television pictures of that second has been replayed several times more than that years.

"You didn't see mine which year?" Stricker dead-panned. "No?"

However Stricker trumped Woods in which year or so by way of winning a vehicle for his endeavours seeing that his genius came from the remaining round.

"It has been an Oldsmobile Aurora," he or she recalled. "I used them to get a certain degree and then traded them in for a minivan."

(Editing by Julian Linden)