Steve Stricker won the last two editions of the John Deere Classic and will now ply his trade on the links as a member of the U.S. Ryder Cup team.

And while he's won a number of larger tourneys like the John Deere Classic, Stricker has also netted his share of smaller events. A recent piece in Iowa's Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier noted Stricker won the Northern Iowa Golf Classic while swinging his clubs for the University of Illinois' golf team.

While the tournament is no longer held, Stricker did win it three times in a row during the late '80s. Ken Green, who was the golf coach at Northern Iowa at the time, told the paper he has warm memories of the time.

"I got to shake his hand and hand him a trophy," Green said. "He had a chance to hone his skills in Cedar Falls and Waterloo."

This year's Ryder Cup will be held at the Celtic Manor Resort, which is located in City of Newport, Wales. The team tournament started in 1927and was last won by the U.S. side.