Will Strickler
Encyclopedia
William Belden Strickler (born January 15, 1986) is an American professional golfer
who currently plays on the PGA Tour
.
. He grew up in Charlottesville, Virginia
, and attended high school at Woodberry Forest School
in Madison County, Virginia
. At Woodberry, he played for the Woodberry Forest Tigers and was captain of the team as a senior.
to attend the University of Florida
in Gainesville, Florida
, where he played for coach Buddy Alexander
's Florida Gators men's golf team in National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA) competition in 2005 and from 2007 to 2009. As a Gator golfer, he was a four-time letter winner and senior team captain in 2008–2009. He graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree
, with honors, in economics
in 2009.
He won the Connecticut State Amateur Championship in both 2007 and 2008, becoming the first repeat winner since J. J. Henry in 1994 and 1995. He also tied for second in stroke play qualifying at the 2009 U.S. Amateur, with a two-round total of 141 at Southern Hills Country Club
in Tulsa, Oklahoma
. He won one match before dropping his second round (round of 32) contest.
in September, earning tour privileges for the 2010 season. He made 7 cuts in 10 tournaments on the Canadian Tour in 2010, with his best finish a fourth-place tie at the Desert Dunes Classic in November.
In December 2010, Strickler successfully gained a 2011 PGA Tour
card through the qualifying school. Strickler entered the 6th and final round tied for 4th, but struggled, finishing with a last-hole bogey to make the cut on the number. Strickler's bogey on the 18th, plus Nationwide Tour graduates Michael Putnam and Justin Hicks placing in the top 25, allowed Scott Gordon and Billy Horschel
(Strickler's former Florida teammate) to earn their tour cards as well.
In May 2011, after six missing cuts, Strickler made his first career PGA Tour cut at the HP Byron Nelson Championship where he finished tied for 32nd.
Professional golfer
In golf the distinction between amateurs and professionals is rigorously maintained. An amateur who breaches the rules of amateur status may lose his or her amateur status. A golfer who has lost his or her amateur status may not play in amateur competitions until amateur status has been reinstated;...
who currently plays on the PGA Tour
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
.
Early years
Strickler was born in Bronxville, New YorkBronxville, New York
Bronxville is an affluent village within the town of Eastchester, New York, in the United States. It is a suburb of New York City, located approximately north of midtown Manhattan in southern Westchester County. At the 2010 census, Bronxville had a population of 6,323...
. He grew up in Charlottesville, Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia
Charlottesville is an independent city geographically surrounded by but separate from Albemarle County in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and named after Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the queen consort of King George III of the United Kingdom.The official population estimate for...
, and attended high school at Woodberry Forest School
Woodberry Forest School
Woodberry Forest School is a private, all-male boarding school located in Woodberry Forest, Madison County, Virginia, in the United States. Woodberry's current enrollment is 402. Students come from 28 U.S...
in Madison County, Virginia
Madison County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 12,520 people, 4,739 households, and 3,521 families residing in the county. The population density was 39 people per square mile . There were 5,239 housing units at an average density of 16 per square mile...
. At Woodberry, he played for the Woodberry Forest Tigers and was captain of the team as a senior.
College career
Strickler received an athletic scholarshipAthletic scholarship
An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport...
to attend the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
in Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
, where he played for coach Buddy Alexander
Buddy Alexander
Stewart Murray "Buddy" Alexander is an American college golf coach and former amateur golfer. Alexander is the current head coach of the Florida Gators men's golf team of the University of Florida...
's Florida Gators men's golf team in National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
(NCAA) competition in 2005 and from 2007 to 2009. As a Gator golfer, he was a four-time letter winner and senior team captain in 2008–2009. He graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
, with honors, in economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
in 2009.
He won the Connecticut State Amateur Championship in both 2007 and 2008, becoming the first repeat winner since J. J. Henry in 1994 and 1995. He also tied for second in stroke play qualifying at the 2009 U.S. Amateur, with a two-round total of 141 at Southern Hills Country Club
Southern Hills Country Club
Southern Hills Country Club is a private golf and country club in Tulsa, Oklahoma in the United States. It was established in 1936 from land donated by multimillionaire oilman Waite Phillips. The construction costs were raised by the founding members....
in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
. He won one match before dropping his second round (round of 32) contest.
Professional career
He turned pro shortly after the 2009 U.S. Amateur. He placed second at the Canadian Tour fall qualifying schoolQualifying school
In professional golf the term qualifying school is used for the annual qualifying tournaments for leading golf tours such as the U.S. based PGA and LPGA Tours and the European Tour. A fixed number of players in the event win membership of the tour for the following season, otherwise known as a...
in September, earning tour privileges for the 2010 season. He made 7 cuts in 10 tournaments on the Canadian Tour in 2010, with his best finish a fourth-place tie at the Desert Dunes Classic in November.
In December 2010, Strickler successfully gained a 2011 PGA Tour
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
card through the qualifying school. Strickler entered the 6th and final round tied for 4th, but struggled, finishing with a last-hole bogey to make the cut on the number. Strickler's bogey on the 18th, plus Nationwide Tour graduates Michael Putnam and Justin Hicks placing in the top 25, allowed Scott Gordon and Billy Horschel
Billy Horschel
William John Horschel is an American professional golfer who currently plays on the PGA Tour.-Amateur career:Horschel was born in Grant, Florida. He won the individual medalist honors at the 2006 U.S. Amateur, shooting a two day score of 138 at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota...
(Strickler's former Florida teammate) to earn their tour cards as well.
In May 2011, after six missing cuts, Strickler made his first career PGA Tour cut at the HP Byron Nelson Championship where he finished tied for 32nd.
See also
- 2010 PGA Tour Qualifying School graduates2010 PGA Tour Qualifying School GraduatesThis is a list of the 29 players who earned their 2011 PGA Tour card through Q School in 2010. Note: Michael Putnam and Justin Hicks had already qualified for the PGA Tour by placing in the Top 25 during the 2010 Nationwide Tour season; they did not count among the Top 25 Q school graduates, but...
- List of Florida Gators golfers
- List of University of Florida alumni