It’s safe to say that Steve Stricker’s wife has had a big impact on his game, and Steve is considered one of the best professional golf players in history. He’s been a dominating force on the Tour, winning numerous titles and breaking records.
He’s also known as one of the nicest players on the Tour, which has led fans to speculate about who he is off the golf course. They’re also interested in knowing who makes up the support system that has helped him become one of the sport’s top players.
So, who is Steve Stricker’s wife? Nicki Stricker, formerly known as Nicki Tiziani, has been by her husband’s side since they tied the knot in 1993. Their bond has only strengthened over the years, especially since Nicki started caddying for her husband even before he joined the PGA Tour in 1994.
Interested in learning more about this power couple and their love story spanning decades? Let’s get started.
Coming ahead:
- Steve Stricker’s Wife: Overview
- Her Early Life
- Their Love Story
- Their Wedding
- Their Married Life
- Here Career
- How Involved Is Steve Stricker’s Wife in Her Husband’s Career?
- FAQs
Steve Stricker’s Wife: Overview
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Here are some of the major highlights in Steve and Nicki’s lives:
- Nicki Tiziani was born in Wisconsin where she grew up playing golf.
- Nicki attended the University of Wisconsin where she played golf with the Wisconsin Badgers.
- Nicki first caught Steve’s eye working as a lifeguard at the Cherokee Country Club in Wisconsin where her father was coaching Steve.
- Nicki and Steve started dating when he was a junior in college.
- The couple dated for six years before tying the knot.
- Nicki and Steve, aka Steven Charles Stricker, married in 1993.
- Nicki and Steve have two daughters together: Bobbi (1998) and Izzi (2006).
- Nicki has caddied on and off for Steve over the years, even before his first PGA Tour in 1994.
- The couple sometimes plays golf together at home in-between tournaments.
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Steve Stricker’s Wife: Early Life & Education
Not much is known about the early life of Steve Stricker’s spouse. We also don’t know when she was born so we can’t say for sure how old she is.
We do know that she attended the University of Wisconsin.
We also know that Nicki’s love for golf didn’t start when she met Steve. It began much earlier, thanks to her grandfather, who served as a head professional golfer in Michigan for over 40 years, and her uncle, Larry Tiziani, who was inducted into the Wisconsin Golf Hall of Fame in 2009.
Yet, it was her father, Dennis Tiziani, who honed her game. Dennis played on the PGA Tour for three years including three US Open Tournaments.
Following his playing days, he coached the Wisconsin men’s golf team for nearly 30 years and the women’s golf team for over 10 years.
Being a former PGA Championship Tour player himself, Tiziani was Steve’s swing coach for many years. With his extensive experience as a player and a coach, Tiziani played a huge role in shaping Steve’s unrivaled game, thus ensuring his continued success over the years.
Another person who further fueled Nicki’s passion for the game is her brother, Mario, who had a brief run on the 2008 PGA Tour.
Nicki also took part in the golfing action. She’s a former golf team member at the University of Wisconsin with her father being the head coach. She went on to earn four varsity letters for the women’s golf team at the University of Wisconsin and took fourth at the 1991 Big Ten Championship.
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Steve Stricker’s Wife: Love Story Before Marriage
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Steve was recruited by then-Wisconsin State head coach, Dennis Tiziani. Yet, Steve chose to attend the University of Illinois instead.
Even though Steve was playing for the rival Illinois Golf Team, Tiziani still offered to teach him the ropes. Tiziani’s efforts paid off and Steve was honored as an All-American two years consecutively, 1988 and 1989, before graduating and turning pro.
While still a sophomore in college, Steve was riding the golf cart through the Cherokee Country Club for a practice session with Dennis when he spotted Nicki. The young college student was immediately infatuated.
When Steve discovered that Nicki was Dennis’ daughter, he didn’t ask her out of respect for his coach. Luckily, she was also taken back by the college student and made the first move.
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Steve Stricker’s Wife: Wedding
After a couple of casual dates, Steve and Nicki became a formal couple. They dated for six years until 1992 when Steve decided to take their relationship to the next level.
The couple tied the knot in 1993, but not much is known about their wedding. All we know is that despite the ups and downs of marriage and being a pro athlete, Steve and Nicki have managed to stick by each other through thick and thin for the past 30 years.
Steve Stricker’s Wife: Married Life
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Based on our research, all we know about Steve and Nicki’s married life is that the couple has enjoyed a long, loving relationship on and off the golf course.
They reside in Madison, Wisconsin with their two daughters who have also caught the golfing bug.
Bobbi is now a professional golfer who gets her professional prowess from her father. Yet, it was her mother who gave her the confidence and conviction she needed to go pro. At present, Bobbi ranks as the number-one golfer in Waunakee’s lineup.
Nicki’s younger daughter, Izzi, started playing professionally while still in high school. She’s currently the state’s reigning WIAA Division 1 Girls Golf champion. Racking up the wins, Izzi plans to play at the college level when she enters the University of Wisconsin in a couple of years.
She also caddied for her father at the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship in 2022.
Steve Stricker’s Wife: Career
Nicki Stricker doesn’t do anything outside of the golfing venue. In college, she won fourth in the 1991 Big Ten championship.
In September 2023, she started playing again as she played in 61st U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur at Troon Country Club.
She’ll probably also continue caddying. Being a player herself gives her a better understanding of her husband’s various challenges as a pro golfer. As such, she’s been his staunchest advocate. Even when they had their daughters, Nicki remained by Stricker’s side, providing him with the love and encouragement he needed to succeed.
She’s also caddied on and off for Steve starting from when he was still an amateur player. Then, when her daughters were born, she became a stay-at-home mom.
Over the years, Nicki has taken on many roles. Yet, the one job she’s always enjoyed is caddying for her husband.
How Involved Is Steve Stricker’s Wife in Her Husband’s Career?
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Ever since Stricker started taking part in PGA Championship Tours in 1994, Nicki loved being by his side as his caddie. She continued to caddie for her husband until 1997 when she had their first daughter, Bobbi.
She returned as his caddie in 2001. Yet, she only held the role for only one year.
Then, in 2015, when Steve’s former caddie, Jimmy Johnson left, Nicki returned as her husband’s right-hand person on the green.
This is a testament to the couple’s strong bond and Nicki’s unwavering support for her husband and his numerous successes until becoming one of the best golfers of all time.
Just recently at the 2023 US Open, Stricker was named the PGA Tour’s Comeback Player of the Year for the second year in a row.
FAQs
Does Steve Stricker’s wife play golf?
Nicki isn’t just the wife of one of the elite golfers, she’s also a talented golfer in her own right. She took fourth place at the 1991 Big Ten championships, earning four letters for the University of Wisconsin women’s golf team.
Final Thoughts
Knowing about Steve Stricker’s wife, we can appreciate the impact this one-of-a-kind lady has had on her husband’s career. They are quite a power couple!
Now, with their daughters following in their legacy, the Strickler name will long be remembered in the world of golf as one of hard work, dedication, and integrity.
Nick is the founder of GolfSpan and an avid golfer. He's not quite a pro but has over 15 years of experience playing and coaching golfers worldwide. His mission is to bring the golfing community a better experience when it comes to choosing the right golf gear and finding the right setup for your game.
