These have been tough months for Steve Stricker. After leading the U.S. Ryder Cup team to victory last year, a mysterious illness struck Stricker. The 55-year-old suddenly suffered from a wide range of symptoms: from cough and sore throat to jaundice and an inflammation of the heart. The consequences of these strains were extreme: Stricker could not eat solid food for a long time and lost about 25 pounds. Now the golfer announced his return to the Champions Tour.
Steve Stricker fought against a mysterious disease outbreak
Steve Stricker has had an illness record to show for it since last fall, and it’s not without its challenges. After his Ryder Cup victory as captain of the U.S. team, things went downhill for the then 54-year-old. A mild cough was followed by a high fever and an allergic reaction to a medication. Shortly thereafter, Stricker was informed of very poor liver values and cardiac arrhythmias. His health deteriorated rapidly, while doctors were at a loss as to the cause of this. Stricker spent eleven days in the hospital, after which he felt “like an 85-year-old man.” His doctors announced he would be in rehabilitation for months.
Comeback on the Champions Tour
After Stricker was unable to eat solid food for a while and going to the bathroom had been a challenge for him, a former golf coach suggested he not return to professional sports and take it easy. For Stricker, that wasn’t an option: “That’s not my style, you know? I like to work at things.” For Stricker, one thing was certain: he would return to the Champions Tour. Next week’s Insperity Invitational is expected to be the time, and the twelve-time PGA Tour winner and seven-time Champions Tour winner announced his participation. In Houston, he will be competing for prize money of more than 2 million euros. We will find out in the coming week how well his comeback is going and whether his body can already withstand the rigors of a professional tournament.
Steve Stricker’s comeback begins next week!
He’s committed to play @InsperityInvtnl. pic.twitter.com/t2W4mlVPPJ
— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) April 22, 2022