Steve Stricker doesn’t own a house at Greystone Golf & Country Club, nor is he a member at the exclusive Hoover, Alabama enclave.
He merely owns the Founder’s course, year after year.
Stricker shot a sizzling 65 Friday to seize the midpoint lead in the 2024 Regions Tradition, the first major event on the PGA TOUR Champions schedule, leaving him 12-under after two rounds and one stroke ahead of Ernie Els.
Give the man the deed to Greystone already.
A Wisconsin native, Stricker hasn’t won an event this year. But, back in Alabama, he remains the most dominant champion in Regions Tradition history. He won the 2019 edition before adding back-to-back titles in 2022 and ’23. His only loss during that five-year span came in 2021, when he lost to Alex Cejka in a playoff. The 2020 tournament was cancelled due to the pandemic.
Like everyone, he played a lot of golf Friday to make up for a storm-shortened suspended first round.
The second-place Els is another golfer with a strong history at Greystone. Els was the 2023 Regions Tradition runner-up and is vying for his fourth consecutive top 5 finish at Greystone.
After a stunning 7-under first round over two days, Steve Flesch is in third place, two shots behind Stricker and in position to win his fifth tournament since joining the tour.
Charlie Wi and Padraig Harrington are tied for fourth at 9-under while 2014 Tradition champion Kenny Perry and Marco Dawson are one stroke back.
Five players concluded the first round Friday morning in a tie atop the leaderboard – Els, Harrington, Perry, Doug Barron and former Florida Gator Chris DiMarco.
Halfway through the major, Barron is at 8-under and DiMarco is two strokes behind after carding a 1-over on his second trip around the course Friday.
The Tradition, which features 14 of the tournament’s previous 15 champions, concludes Sunday.