U.S. Senior Open: Stricker Grabs 18, 36, 54 And 72-Hole Scoring Records In One Week; Watson Betters His Age Three Of Four Rounds

Mike Berardino filed a fantastic game story here on Steve Stricker’s soul-searching en route to South Bend and what turned out to be a week for the record-scoring U.S. Senior Open for the ages.

But more impressive are a few items in David Shefter’s USGA game story and Brian DePasquale’s notes from the Warren Course at Notre Dame:

Obliterating the 36- (126) and 54-hole (192) championship scoring records and matching the 18-hole mark with a first-round 62 on Thursday, Stricker finished off his historic week with a championship-tying, six-stroke margin of victory over good friend Jerry Kelly and defending champion David Toms. Gary Player and Fred Funk also won by six in 1987 and 2009, respectively, the latter also in Indiana at Crooked Stick Golf Club (Carmel).

Although his Sunday effort over the 7,004-yard layout was the highest of the week (69), the 52-year-old Madison, Wis., native still set a new 72-hole scoring mark of 261, and his 19-under total was one off the record by Funk.

And then there was this on 69-year-old Tom Watson.

Tom Watson, the 1982 U.S. Open champion who made it a record 17-for-17 in cuts made in the U.S. Senior Open this week, matched or bettered his age (69) for the third time in four rounds. Watson carded a 2-under 68 for a 72-hole total of 278.

Here is a slideshow of images from the week, with artistic-license interruptions that also happen to showcase USGA corporate partners. These artists today!