Get to Know Ryder Cup Captain Steve Stricker

A native of small-town Edgerton, Wis., Steve Stricker has made a major name for himself on the golf circuit.

Since he turned pro in 1990, Stricker has brought home 12 PGA TOUR wins and three PGA Tour Champions wins, according to his PGA Tour profile. He shows no sign of slowing down and will be the U.S. team captain for the 43rd Ryder Cup in 2021 (originally scheduled for this fall but has been move to 2021 due to COVID-19).

In honor of next year’s Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits near Sheboygan, we wanted to get to know this Madison resident a bit better.

Career Achievements

According to the PGA, Stricker has pulled in more than $47.68 million in career earnings, putting him in the top 50 in career earnings for the PGA TOUR.

In 2012, Stricker was honored with the Payne Stewart Award, which is annually bestowed on golfers who share Stewart’s commitment, respect and charitable tradition for the game.

Did You Know?

Prior to the birth of their first daughter in 1998, his wife, Nicki, was his caddie. Every once and awhile, she still caddies for him.

Stricker’s charity, Steve Stricker American Family Insurance Foundation, hosts the American Family Insurance Championship on the PGA Champions Tour in Madison and, since 2016, has raised more than $7.1 million for charity — translating to an estimated $56 million economic impact for the Madison area.

This article originally appeared in the 2020 issue of Experience Wisconsin magazine. The contents of this article were checked for accuracy when it was published; however, it’s possible some of the information has changed. We recommend you call first if you have specific questions for the destinations, attractions or restaurants mentioned in this article.

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