Tournament host Steve Stricker and partner Mario Tiziani (bottom picture) surged up the leaderboard during the second round of the American Family Insurance Championship at TPC Wisconsin on Saturday, shooting a second-round best 15-under par to end the day in second place at 22 under through two days.
Stricker and Tiziani combined to card 13 birdies and one eagle, including seven birdies over their final nine holes of play for the day. “I’ve got a great partner in Mario here who’s hitting it great,” Stricker said. “It was a lot of fun to play. We don’t get the opportunity to play a scramble here, so it’s a treat.”
This year’s tournament includes a unique team format with pairings playing best ball Friday/Sunday and a scramble format Saturday.
“It was kind of, I don’t want to say a magical day because we’re both very capable of playing good golf,” said Tiziani. “But we had a lot of chances and we converted a lot.”
Bjørn and Clarke maintain position atop the leaderboard
Entering the second day of play in the lead, Thomas Bjørn and Darren Clarke held their place atop the leaderboard through two rounds at 25 under.
Steve Flesch and Paul Goydos sit in a tie for third place with a score of 21 under, which was matched by defending AmFam Champ winner, Ernie Els, and his partner Tim Herron.
Other second round notes
- First-round leaders Thomas Bjørn and Darren Clarke followed up a 12-under 59 with a 13-under 58 on Saturday to take a 3-shot lead into Sunday’s final round at the American Family Insurance Championship. The duo was only 5-under through the first 10 holes before closing with an eagle and six birdies over their last eight to seize the outright lead.
- Tournament host Steve Stricker and partner Mario Tiziani recorded an eagle and 13 birdies to post 15-under 56 and reach 22-under overall; Stricker won the 2023 American Family Insurance Championship and is in search of his first Champions Tour title since the 2024 Sanford International; a win would mark Stricker’s seventh consecutive season with a win on PGA TOUR Champions, dating back to 2018 (2020-21 was a wrap-around season).
- Steve Flesch and Paul Goydos started on No. 10 and recorded 12 birdies and an eagle on the par-5 seventh for a 14-under 57, tying the second lowest round of the day; Goydos got into the field last weekend when World Golf Hall of Fame member Colin Montgomerie withdrew from the event; a win tomorrow would be Goydos’ first on the Champions Tour since the 2017 3M Championship, a span of 7 years, 10 months, 2 days.
- Defending champion and World Golf Hall of Fame member Ernie Els, along with partner Tim Herron, posted a 12-under 59 to reach 21-under through two rounds; Herron, making his 102nd Champions Tour start this week, is still in search of his first victory, while Els is looking for his second win of 2025 (Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai)
Celebrities help raise $25,000 for charity
The AmFam Champ Celebrity Foursome Hosted by Andy North continued for another year, raising money for charity. In addition to North, the foursome included soccer legend Mia Hamm, Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert, and Pro Football Hall of Fame member Charles Woodson. Hamm and North won the friendly competition and will have a $25,000 donation made in their names from the Steve Stricker American Family Insurance Foundation donated to the American Family Children’s Hospital.
*NOTE: Play on Sunday will tee off at 8 a.m.
Media contacts:
Janet Masters or Brandon Harrison
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