Stricker at home atop Barclays leaderboard
Steve Stricker is right at home at Ridgewood Country Club - and the top of The Barclays leaderboard.
A year after winning across the Hudson at Westchester Country Club, the Wisconsin player shot a 7-under 64 in perfect morning conditions Friday to take a 3-stroke lead over Hunter Mahan in the FedEx Cup playoff opener at Paramus, N.J.
"This reminds me of home to tell you the truth," Stricker said. "This looks like a course that could be very easily in the Midwest somewhere. It reminds me of Medinah a lot. The grasses are the same. We putt on poa annua greens a lot where I'm from. It's bentgrass fairways, bluegrass rough and everything reminds me of home."
The 41-year-old Stricker, 21st in the FedEx Cup standings, had a 10-under 132 total on the tree-lined A.W. Tillinghast layout, the tournament site for the first time after 41 seasons at Westchester. He hasn't made a bogey since dropping strokes on the first two holes Thursday, playing his last 23 holes in 11 under.
Mahan, 31st in the FedEx Cup standings, followed his opening 62 with a 73.
Kenny Perry, effectively the FedEx Cup leader with top-ranked Tiger Woods sidelined by a knee injury, shot a 67 to join Angel Cabrera (67) and Dudley Hart (69) at 6 under.
Anthony Kim (67), Sergio Garcia (67), Kevin Streelman (70), Charley Hoffman (70) and Paul Casey (71) were 5 under.
U.S. Amateur: Georgia teammates Adam Mitchell and Patrick Reed advanced to the U.S. Amateur semifinals Friday in Pinehurst, N.C. Mitchell rallied to defeat Charlie Holland 2 and 1 in one quarterfinal. Reed defeated Graham Hill 4 and 3 to reach a Saturday semifinal matchup against Danny Lee. Lee, who beat Morgan Hoffmann 4 and 3. Mitchell will face Florida State's Drew Kittleson, who defeated former Louisville player Derek Fathauer 3 and 2. The semifinal winners will square off in a 36-hole final on Sunday at Pinehurst's renowned No. 2 course.
Safeway Classic: Angela Park, winless on the LPGA Tour, shot a 6-under par 66 to take a 1-stroke lead after the first round of the Safeway Classic at tree-lined Columbia Edgewater Country Club in Portland, Ore.
KLM Open: Darren Clarke shot a 6-under 64 to join Robert Rock and Alexander Noren in the lead after the second round of the KLM Open in Zandvoort, Netherlands.