Izzi Stricker returns to PNC with dad Steve, but already won with mom

ORLANDO, Fla. — This week at the PNC Championship, Izzi Stricker has her father, Steve, as a partner. But the 12-time PGA Tour winner and Ryder Cup captain has a tough act to follow. Earlier this year at the Wisconsin State Women's Four-Ball, Izzi teed it up with her mom, Nicki, and won.

"I'm 1-0 with her, so she's clearly the better partner," said Izzi, with a smile. "I'm kidding. I'm kidding."

Nicki, who like Izzi played collegiate golf at Wisconsin, birdied the last three holes at the Legend at Bergamont in June to seal it for the family.

"They're both really competitive. I would say my mom is more competitive," said Izzi of her parents. "That was so fun. Yeah, she actually carried me that day. She made seven birdies."

Steve confirmed that Nicki, who also happens to be his longtime caddie, is probably the most competitive person in the family.

"To have her come through and make all those birdies, and she made a couple bombs coming in when they had to, it was cool for her to help out," said Steve, who underwent neck surgery in August and reports that his game is not overly strong at the moment.

"I hit some great shots," he said, "and then I hit some shots that are just God awful."

In addition to his dozen PGA Tour wins, Stricker boasts 18 PGA Tour Champions titles, including seven senior majors.

This marks the Strickers' third appearance at the PNC, with their best finish, seventh, coming last year.

Izzi, 19, now in her sophomore year as a Badger, won both the 2025 Wisconsin Women’s Amateur and the Wisconsin Women’s Match Play. She won back-to-back state titles in high school, a feat that even her dad couldn't pull off.

"I was in that position as a high schooler," recalled Steve. "I won my junior year; fell flat on my face my senior year, just because the expectations and all the things that you, you know you did it the year before. You feel like you should do it again.

"You know, you're looked at as the defending championship and should win again. She set that goal to do it again and did do it. That's probably one of the hardest things in any sport, to try to get to a position of winning year before, put all that pressure on yourself to win again, and she did it. So that was pretty cool."

Izzi's older sister, Bobbi, also played collegiately at Wisconsin and now plays professionally. When asked if the family ever plays together as a foursome, Stricker said they mostly stay away from competition for the most part because there are "a couple people in the family that don't like to lose."

If they do have a friendly game, the kids take on the parents.

"We've only done it twice," said Steve, "so we're 2-0 against the kids."