Steve Stricker will skip British Open to celebrate anniversary

If you want to know something about Steve Stricker, check out his Twitter account, in which he describes himself as “Husband, Father and PGA Tour Player.”

Next week, the 46-year-old golfer will prove the “husband” part really does come first when he skips the British Open to spend the weekend celebrating his 20th anniversary with wife, Nicki.

“For a guy who has not won a major and trying to win one still, that’s probably not the best way to go about it,” he said. “But that’s the way I made up my mind earlier in the year and [I’m] sticking with it.”

Stricker talked about the decision at the John Deere Classic, where he started Friday’s second round at 4-under.

On the far end of a career that has stretched more than two decades and included 12 Tour victories, he has cut back on his schedule this season, hoping to stay energized through the dog days of summer.

“My attitude is fresher,” he said. “I’m excited to be at each and every event that I tee it up in.”

Skipping the British Open might be payback for the years Nicki spent caddying for him, a job she pretty much surrendered after they started a family. Still, he acknowledges that missing the major at Muirfield next week will not be easy.

“It will sting a little bit when I’m watching it on TV,” he told reporters. “But we are going to be in a better place ... we’ll be doing some fun things, so my mind will get off that rather quickly.”

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