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Stricker at Augusta with one eye on Wisconsin hoops

AUGUSTA, Ga. – He’s back. We’re talking, of course, about Steve Stricker.

After a four-month layoff following back surgery for a bulging disk, the affable Stricker is returning to tournament golf just in time for the first major of the year.

The 48 year-old thought about returning at the Valero Texas Open, but didn’t. Then the Shell Houston Open hit his radar, but his doctors and physical therapist recommended that Stricker avoid playing two tournaments in a row. The Wisconsin native decided to wait until this week at Augusta National.

“Doing some all right things, hitting them fairly straight,” Stricker said Monday after a nine-hole practice round. “I don’t know how much pop I got on the ball, but it’s going fairly straight. It’s fun to be back out. It’s been a long time. I missed being out here and playing and seeing the guys. It’s fun to be back.”

Stricker’s most recent preparation included 10 days in Florida, with a trip to Augusta in for short-game work wedged in. He focused mostly on wedge shots and putting in an effort to get his touch back.

“You can’t simulate this golf,” Stricker said. “I don’t care what you do at home, you can work out as much as you want, you still have to be golf ready and golf fit. That’s playing, walking, standing on your feet for six or eight hours a day. It’s tough to simulate some of that stuff.”

As part of his preparation for this week, Stricker and his family were in Indianapolis on Saturday to watch Wisconsin beat No. 1-ranked Kentucky to advance to the NCAA title game tonight against Duke.

Unfortunately, Stricker will not make the trip back to Indy because he needs the rest and practice. His tickets went to his wife Nicki’s sister and her family. Stricker, meanwhile, will watch on television, but he broke the game down Monday afternoon.

“What worries me about Duke is their speed,” Stricker said. “They’re very athletic, they’re quick. The Badgers, it doesn’t surprise me whatever they’re going to do. They’re deep. Throughout the one through six, seven position, any guy can come in there and take over a game. That’s what Duke has.”

Stricker went on about the Badgers’ advantage.

“A challenge for Duke is who are they going to contain when one guy can step up and hurt you in many ways,” Stricker said of the versatile Badgers. “So Badgers got a lot of guys that can hurt you, but the speed of Duke kind of concerns me a little bit.”

The challenge for Stricker this week will be to compete under the gun, something he hasn’t done in awhile, but the veteran is glad to be back.

“I think when you’re forced away and you can’t play, I think you end up missing it a little bit more than when you can pick and choose when you can come back and play.”

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