Is Austria's Sepp Straka the world's best golfer who's not a household name?
Sepp Straka of Austria looks over a putt on the 12th hole prior to the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow on May 14. PHOTO: AFP
Is Austria's Sepp Straka the world's best golfer who's not a household name?
CHARLOTTE – By winning last week's Truist Championship, Austria's Sepp Straka earned a US$3.6 million (S$4.7 million) paycheck, jumped into the top 10 of the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time and all but clinched a spot on Team Europe for the upcoming Ryder Cup.
One thing he did not do? Maintain his preference for staying below the radar.
'I'm not very outgoing,' Straka said on May 14, one day before he tees off in the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow.
'I'm not a big people person. I'm a little bit shy. It makes it maybe a little bit easier to prepare for tournaments because you don't have all the eyeballs on you.'
But, little by little, the 32-year-old continues to blow his cover.
He won the 2022 Honda Classic and the 2023 John Deere Classic to help claim his spot on Team Europe's victorious 2023 roster. This year, Straka has doubled his PGA Tour wins to four as he also collected the American Express in January.
His US$8,228,709 in PGA Tour winnings this season are exceeded only by Masters champion Rory McIlroy (US$13.9 million) and Justin Thomas (US$8.6 million). Oh, and Straka has jumped into fifth place in Ryder Cup points for the European side. The top six earn automatic bids to play for captain Luke Donald in September at Bethpage Black.
While it is too soon for anyone to be guaranteed a spot when Team Europe attempts to keep the Cup, Donald certainly sounded like Straka should make some plans.
'I think he's sort of proven that he deserves to be thought of as one of the best European players. Just a cool, calm, collected (golfer). Doesn't get too bothered by things, very consistent game, great putter,' Donald said.
'We saw that on Sunday (at Truist). He just sort of did what he knows he can do. Didn't seem to get too up, too down. Played extremely well. He's just a very, very consistent ball striker. He works hard on his game. There's not too many weaknesses in his game.
'I think he was great to be around, as well, in that team room (in Rome). He's just fun and joking and just an easy, easy guy to be around.'
Straka does not want to assume anything.
'What a great week, great group of guys,' he said. 'The group chat (is) still going from the last one. Hoping to be in the group chat for the next one.'
A good showing this week at Quail Hollow will go a long way toward ensuring that. REUTERS
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