Tag: Sepp Straka

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PGA Tour

PGA Tour: The Race to the FedExCup Playoffs – Why Even a Victory Is Not Enough

PGA Tour: Davis Riley misses the playoffs despite winning a tournament. (Photo: Getty)

The Wyndham Championship marked the end of the 36-event regular season of the PGA Tour, determining the top 70 players who will advance to the FedExCup Playoffs. These Playoffs, consisting of three tournaments, begin with the FedEx St. Jude Championship and continue with the BMW Championship. Only the top 50 players from the St. Jude Championship will move on to the next stage, and this group will also earn spots in all Signature Events in 2025. The season then culminates at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, where the top 30 players will compete for the FedExCup title and a significant $25 million prize. This article takes a closer look at who secured their place, who missed out, and why even a tournament victory doesn’t always guarantee a spot in the Playoffs.

The Top 10 Players: Leading the Standings

Leading the charge into the Playoffs are the season’s standout performers, Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele, occupying the first and second spots, respectively. Following closely are Rory McIlroy, Collin Morikawa, and Wyndham Clark, all of whom have shown exceptional form throughout the year. Ludvig Aberg, making waves in his debut full season on the PGA Tour, impressively holds the sixth position. He is trailed by Sahith Theegala and Hideki Matsuyama. Perhaps the most unexpected presence in the top 10 is South Korea’s Sungjae Im, who clinched the ninth spot. Rounding out the elite group is Ireland’s Shane Lowry.

Notable Players Missing the Playoffs

Not surprisingly, Tiger Woods is absent from the Playoffs roster. The legendary golfer, who now selectively participates in Majors and his own Genesis Invitational, wrapped up the season in 220th place. For Woods, the result holds little consequence as his focus has long shifted to the bigger stages of the sport. Rickie Fowler, a recent father, also failed to make the top 70, finishing 106th, far from the qualifying mark. Europe’s Ryder Cup stalwart Nicolai Hojgaard, who played a pivotal role in Rome, finds himself on the outside looking in after finishing 81st in the standings.

Matt Kuchar’s remarkable streak of 17 consecutive Playoff appearances came to a halt this year, as he finished 103rd. Similarly, Kevin Kisner, who will once again lend his insights as an NBC commentator during the Playoffs, ended his campaign in 196th place.

The Davis Riley Scenario: When a Win Isn’t Enough

Davis Riley’s situation underscores the unforgiving nature of the FedExCup Playoffs qualification process. Despite claiming victory at the Charles Schwab Challenge, earning a hefty 500 FedExCup points, Riley narrowly missed the cut, finishing 71st—just one spot shy of advancing. This scenario highlights that a single win, no matter how significant, doesn’t guarantee a Playoff spot. A comparison with Sepp Straka, who has yet to secure a win in 2024, further illustrates this point. Straka’s consistency, particularly in the Signature Events, propelled him to 18th in the standings. His two top-five finishes at the RBC Heritage and the Memorial Tournament earned him more points than Riley’s lone victory.

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Highlights Tours

Sepp Straka Scores Hole-in-One During Second Round of US Open 2024

Sepp Straka scores an ace in his second round. (Photo: Getty)

On Friday morning, Sepp Straka experienced a true magic moment at the US Open 2024 on Pinehurst No. 2. With a hole-in-one, the Austrian catapulted himself into the headlines and brought smiles to the faces of the spectators.

A Early Setback at the US Open 2024

The Friday could have started better for Straka. On the third hole, his second shot bounced off the flagstick and landed in the bunker. What followed was a painful triple-bogey that set him back to three over par—a tough blow for the usually confident player.

The Magical Moment on the Ninth Hole

But then came the moment that changed everything. On the ninth hole, a 177-yard par-3, Straka showed his full class. The 31-year-old hit his tee shot perfectly onto the green—about 26 feet from the pin—and the ball rolled straight into the hole as if by magic. Straka celebrated the first hole-in-one of this year’s US Open together with his caddie Duane Bock and American playing partners JT Poston and Peter Malnati.

A Special Entry in History

With this ace, Straka joins the few players who have achieved a hole-in-one on the ninth hole of Pinehurst No. 2. Before him, only Peter Jacobsen (2005) and Zach Johnson (2014) managed this feat.

The Road to the Cut

The hole-in-one brought Straka back into the tournament, as he was previously within range of the cut. In his career, Straka has already celebrated successes, including victories at the 2022 Honda Classic and the 2023 John Deere Classic. His best result at a major so far was a tied second place at last year’s British Open.

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Highlights Tours

Ryder Cup 2023: Sepp Straka makes it exciting with chip-in eagle

Sepp Straka on sunday. (Photo: Getty)
Sepp Straka on sunday. (Photo: Getty)

Some dream shots have already fallen in this Ryder Cup week. After a Sandy Eagle by Tommy Fleetwood in the singles matches on Sunday, Austrian Sepp Straka also manages a surprising eagle. The German-speaking Ryder Cup rookie presents himself from his best side in his debut in golf’s biggest team competition and fights bravely against Justin Thomas on Sunday. With his chip on the par-4 16th everything is right and he sinks the ball with shot number 2 in the hole. With this stroke win, he shortens his match to just ‘1Up’ for Team USA and gets another chance to turn the tide on the last two holes.

Ryder Cup 2023: Chip-in-Eagle for Sepp Straka

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Live Uncategorized

Shane Lowry: “I Started Losing My Mind On The First Tee”

Shane Lowry (left) and Sepp Atraka at the 2023 Ryder Cup. (Credit: Getty)
Shane Lowry (left) and Sepp Atraka at the 2023 Ryder Cup. (Credit: Getty)

Shane Lowry and Sepp Straka are off to a perfect start at the 2023 Ryder Cup. The Irish-Austrian duo defeated Rickie Fowler and Collin Morikawa with 2&1. In the interview after the first session at the Ryder Cup in Rome, the two speak openly about their nerves and how they enjoyed being celebrated by the fans together at the same time.

Question: How big does this moment feel?

Shane Lowry: Huge, obviously it’s early days but I wanted to give Sepp his moment in the Ryder Cup to hole the pin winning putt. It’s huge. We are off to a great start this morning. We need to keep the foot down. Myself and Sepp gelled well today. Very happy out there with him and enjoyed myself.

Question: Sepp, how much did you enjoy your first taste of a Ryder Cup?

Sepp Straka: Unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable. Can’t really describe it. The expectations didn’t even come close.

Question: How well did you play together? How comfortable did you feel with each other today?

Follow the Ryder Cup 2023 Livescoring

Shane Lowry: We’ve probably known for maybe a couple of weeks that we might go out this morning together. You know, we played the same golf, all use the same stuff, so kind of made sense. We were similar-type people but I’m a bit more fiery than him. Sepp is very laid back. We enjoyed it out there, and I feel like we played some good golf.

Felt like we dodged a few bullets out there, especially 11 and 12, around then, but you know, you’re going to have that in match play. Just have to dig deep and we did. You know, I would have liked to close out the match earlier because we had good chances, but it was nice to put a point on the board for Europe.

Question: A third blue point on the board for The European Team today. Got to ask you Shane, you stepped out on the first tee and one of the first things you saw was Viktor Hovland chipping in at first. How much did that motivate you?

Shane Lowry: I was trying to stay calm and started losing my mind on the first tee. Yeah, for a guy they say can’t chip, Viktor did all right on that hole.

Look, we are very happy with our start today and obviously there’s a lot of golf to be played from here. We talked about getting off to a fast start and we have done.

Question: How are the nerves hitting the first tee shot in your first Ryder Cup?

Sepp Straka: Very. Very nervous. Yeah, couldn’t even really describe. The blood was flowing. Heartbeat was up. Thankfully I made contact with the ball, so I think that’s a win.

Question: You didn’t play foursomes at Whistling Straits. How different was this experience today?

Shane Lowry: Yeah, it was cool. Look, I came here with an open mind this week; I’ll do whatever the captain asks me. He wanted me to go out this morning with Sepp.

It’s nice to go around with a Rookie and bring him around the place. I think the last few days got the Rookies ready for what today was going to be like. It was amazing.

It’s my first home Ryder Cup, as well, and obviously last time at Whistling Straits wasn’t the best experience and out there today was just incredible. With the crowd cheering you down every green and every fairway, it’s incredible to have home support.

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Highlights Tours

Ryder Cup 2023: Sepp Straka – An Austrian writes history

The 2023 Ryder Cup has one more Austrian in its history. After compatriot Bernd Wiesberger, who experienced European defeat up close in Whistling Straits in 2021, Sepp Straka is the next man from the Alpine nation on Team Europe. A strong year from Straka is made even better at the end by the Captain’s Pick of Luke Donald. The 30-year-old attracted attention with strong finishes at the majors and celebrated his second title on the PGA Tour. Despite his personal closeness to the USA, Straka will be looking to bring the title back to Europe against Zach Johnson’s men and claim his next success.

Sepp Straka at the Ryder Cup 2023

For the first time, Sepp Straka, one of four rookies in Luke Donald’s team, will tee it up at a Ryder Cup. For Donald, who raved about Straka several times, it was probably one of the easier Captain’s Picks. That’s because Straka played a terrific season and was able to put his name in the headlines, especially at the majors. A strong showing at the 2023 PGA Championship in May resulted in a shared 7th place finish at Oak Hill Country Club. Then followed an even bigger exclamation mark at the British Open 2023 in July.

Behind Brian Harman, Straka played a strong weekend and secured the shared second place. Despite the rain at Royal Liverpool on the English east coast, Straka was to become the first Austrian with a top-3 finish at a major. But the Viennese was not only able to convince at the majors this year. A second title on the PGA Tour is also on the Austrian’s shelf after winning the John Deere Classic in July. The tall 30-year-old secured the tournament in Illinois after a closing round of 62 to finish 21 strokes under par and two strokes clear of the runner-up. In the end, he should win 1.3 million US dollars in prize money.

Ryder Cup 2023: Sepp Straka commits to the European homeland

Team Europe will travel to Rome with no fewer than four players who will be competing in an edition of the Ryder Cup for the first time. Straka learned of the nomination while driving: “It was great, it was a big relief because if you don’t qualify, you just don’t know. It’s up to the captain’s choice and it’s an honor that he had confidence in me, and hopefully I can reward that with a good performance in Rome.”

The leaderboard of the Ryder Cup 2023

Sepp Straka was able to gain his first experience of team competitions at this year’s Hero Cup, which apparently also convinced Luke Donald. In the duel with the team from Great Britain and Ireland against the continental Europeans, Straka went to the United Arab Emirates. There, he was already able to do a lot of advertising for himself in January and, among other things, celebrated a success with his 5-and-4 win in the singles against Ewan Ferguson and secured the triumph in the duel with the island players around Tommy Fleetwood. But it is precisely the latter that Straka has nothing but fond memories of with a view to the Ryder Cup: “My favorite is simply the combination of Molinari and Fleetwood, those guys were incredible. I think that’s probably my favorite team in Ryder Cup history and probably my favorite moment.”

Sepp Straka has spent more than half of his life in the United States, but was born in the Austrian capital, the son of a native and an American. Straka therefore also holds U.S. citizenship and is known on the tour for his American accent. But whether the native of Vienna ever considered playing for Team USA may be doubted: “I have never played golf for America. Since my first start at the Lyoness Open in Austria, my first professional start, I have always played under the Austrian flag. I played all my junior golf for Austria in the European Boys Teams and the European Amateur Team, so yes, I always assumed I was playing for Europe, and I’ve always played for the Austrian flag and represented it proudly.”

The liveticker of the Ryder Cup 2023

Sepp Straka: First Austrian to win PGA Tour title

Sepp Straka has earned a total of more than $13 million since joining the PGA Tour in 2019. In addition to this year’s John Deere Classic, he also won the Honda Classic in 2022, making him the first Austrian winner on the PGA Tour. The Olympics are also on Straka’s CV. He already represented his colors at the 2020 (2021) Olympic Games in Tokyo and secured a shared tenth place. The sum of his good results is proof that the Viennese has established himself as an integral part of the European golfing elite. Thanks to his performance in the last two years, Straka has played himself more and more into the focus and into the Ryder Cup considerations. Luke Donald has not forgotten this either and is now hoping for the qualities of the big hitter from Austria at the 2023 Ryder Cup.

The WITB of Sepp Straka at the Ryder Cup 2023

The Austrian member of Team Europe uses the latest models from TaylorMade for his woods and driver. With the Stealth 2 Plus he chooses the adjustable model with a 15 gram weight behind the “Speed Pocket” of the club. For the irons, he then reaches for the Mk II ZX7 series. The forged Players irons from Srixon are the most sophisticated irons of the latest generation and are designed for plenty of spin and control. Together with the wedges from Cleveland, more precisely the RTX6 Zipcore wedges, Straka gets strong options for the shot on the green in his bag. For his putter, Straka continues to choose the Odyssey Stroke Lab Tuttle with a mid-mallet design. His game ball switched to the new Srixon Z-Star XV just this year. The XV is a bit firmer than Straka’s previous golf ball, but still retains plenty of feel around the greens.

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Ryder Cup 2023: Sepp Straka talks about not feeling his arms

Sepp Straka wants to learn from veterans Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose at the Ryder Cup 2023. (Source: Getty)
Sepp Straka wants to learn from veterans Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose at the Ryder Cup 2023. (Source: Getty)

Sepp Straka, the golf prodigy from Austria, shared his delightful experiences from Team Europe’s at the Ryder Cup 2023 locker room, emphasizing the immense bonding and camaraderie the team has developed. “Starting with the practice trip we had here a couple of weeks ago, and even during Wentworth… today was a great day. The team bonding has been incredible,” Straka shared.

Leaderboard of the Ryder Cup 2023

A Journey through Cultures

Straka delves into his personal journey, sharing insights about his cultural assimilation after moving to the States at 14. While he acknowledges the American influence, he harbors a deep connection to his Austrian lineage, “My dad is Austrian. Always made sure I spent a lot of time going back.”

Reflecting on his childhood vacations, he recalls with nostalgia the family trips to Italy, specifically Venice and Legnano,  “it was always our number one destination for trips as a kid. We always drove down to Venice, Legnano. We also did a lot of our junior camps over winter in Legnano. Yeah, always brings back memories coming back to Italy.”

His Austrian roots mixed with his American upbringing have brought a distinctive aura in the team, echoing his multifaceted identity. “I’ve grown up kind of split… I’ve always felt really close to my Austrian heritage,” Straka remarks, emphasizing his dual allegiance. Straka’s enthusiastic participation in team dinners and practice rounds highlights his commitment to fostering unity and building strong connections within the team.

Confronting the pressures at the Ryder Cup 2023

The intense pressure synonymous with the first tee is a topic many players converse about, and Straka is no exception. He reveals his strategy for managing the stress, “You’ve just got to stick to your routine in that situation,” he states, emphasizing the importance of maintaining normalcy in high-pressure environments.

His curiosity and enthusiasm are evident as he seeks advice from veterans like Justin Rose and Rory, aiming to gather insights and perspectives to navigate through his first Ryder Cup experience: “Yeah, definitely, you’ve got to lean on those guys. It’s incredible how many Ryder Cups they have been a part of and been successful in. Yeah, a typical question like, ‘What do you on the first tee box when you can’t feel your arms,’ kind of thing. But yeah, overall the goal is you’ve just got to play golf. But yeah, just sharing stories and hearing stories from them has been helpful.”

“What do you do when you can’t feel your arms?”, the interviewer asked “Hope, I guess. Yeah, maybe just stick to the routine and hope you make a good swing”, Straka responded laughing.

Fourballs or Foursome?

Straka shares his neutrality when it comes to choosing between fourballs or foursomes, citing the different mentalities required for each. He sheds light on the challenges of maintaining rhythm in foursomes, “It’s hard to get into rhythm sometimes, just because you’re only hitting every other shot.”

Straka didn’t hold back in expressing his admiration for the course, finding it highly suitable for match play.  “It’s a good course. It will be great for match play. There’s a lot of high-risk reward shots and a couple drivable par fours and reachable par fives. I think that will be really fun to watch and really fun to play.” Straka’s favorite, number five, stands out as a cool reachable par four, highlighting his penchant for strategic play. Alltough he mentioned the rough as quite a challenging part of the Ryder Cup course. “It’s very thick (…) the blades are really thick and it’s very different than anything you see almost anywhere.”

(This text was created with the help of AI)

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Panorama

Portrait: Sepp Straka – first Austrian-born winner on PGA Tour

Sepp Straka 2016 in his first year as a professional (l.) and after his historic victory on the PGA Tour 2022. (Photo: Getty)
Sepp Straka 2016 in his first year as a professional (l.) and after his historic victory on the PGA Tour 2022. (Photo: Getty)

Sepp Straka is one of the few Austrian professional golfers currently playing on the world’s major tours. At the Honda Classic he achieved something that no Austrian had ever done before: he left the rest of the field behind him at a PGA Tour tournament and climbed to the top of the leaderboard. In the world rankings, he thus moved into the top 100. What is behind the sympathetic Austrian and his path to becoming a professional golfer?

Sepp Straka crossed the Atlantic at an early age

Sepp Straka was practically born to play golf. His American mother and his Austrian father met while buying golf gloves in Salzburg, Austria. On 1 May 1993, Josef “Sepp” Straka was born – two minutes after his older twin brother Sam. The two boys initially spent their childhood in Austria mainly on the football pitch, with Sepp beeing the goalkeeper. When the two took part in a one-week golf camp at the age of eleven, no one imagined that this would be the start of an impressive career. Big brother Sam decided for himself and Sepp that they would play a bit of golf from then on. But it soon turned out that the Straka boys had talent. At the Fontana Golf Club in Oberwaltersdorf, they evolved into hard-working golfers who played their way into the junior national team of Austria.

When the sons were 14, the family decided to move to America. Here the basis for Straka’s career on the PGA Tour was laid. Besides finishing school and studying business administration in the US state of Georgia, Sepp and Sam continued to swing their golf clubs eagerly. Sepp initially remained in his brother’s shadow for years. While Sam Straka was then unable to gain a professional career, Sepp applied to the Q-School of the Korn Ferry Tour and European Challenge Tour, which offered him a suitable platform for the switch to the PGA Tour.

On PGA Tour since 2019

In 2019, Straka became the first Austrian to qualify for the PGA Tour. Since then, he has been trying to compete against the best golfers in the world. His biggest successes here so far have included a third-place finish at the 2019 Barbasol Championship and several other top-10 finishes. In 2021, Sepp Straka represented the country of his birth, Austria, at the Olympic Games. His brother Sam supported him as a caddie at his side. With a record round on day 1, Straka initially took the lead in Tokyo, but then finished the tournament in tenth place.

February 2022: Straka makes history on PGA Tour

For Sepp Straka, a long-cherished dream came true at the Honda Classic in February 2022: It is not only the first victory on the PGA Tour for him personally, but also the first victory ever by an Austrian on the PGA Tour. In Florida, he not only received fame and honour, but also 1.44 million US dollars in prize money, a place in the top 100 of the world rankings for the first time and an invitation to The Masters 2022. In the winner’s interview, Straka described his appearance at the Major tournament in Augusta as a “lifelong dream”.