Sepp Straka fired off a final-round 62 eventually 12 months’s John Deere Classic to win his second PGA Tour victory.
A number of weeks after his win at TPC Deere Run, he went on to put up a runner-up end on the Open Championship. He then went on to make his Ryder Cup debut later that fall, serving to the Europeans trounce the Americans in Italy.
His spectacular come-from-behind victory on the John Deere Classic changed everything for the Austrian golfer.
“It was an unbelievable a part of final 12 months,” Straka mentioned on Wednesday.
“I used to be taking part in some fairly good golf however wasn’t getting a lot out of it, and that every one flipped right here. I went to the Open and had one other actually nice week, my finest end in a significant. Ended up making it to Atlanta. Playing on the Ryder Cup was undoubtedly the spotlight of the 12 months, however that wouldn’t have been attainable if I didn’t get sizzling right here on the John Deere.”
Straka has performed in 17 occasions thus far this season, recording 4 prime 10s and 9 prime 25s. He has made 12 of 17 cuts.
The former Georgia Bulldog completed T-5 back-to-back weeks on the Charles Schwab Challenge and The Memorial. A tie for 56th on the U.S. Open was sandwiched between these begins, though Straka made an unbelievable hole-in-one on Friday at Pinehurst No. 2.
He most just lately performed on the Travelers Championship, tying for twenty third. Yet, he has not received since triumphing at this occasion final 12 months.
Straka felt his putter cooperated higher a 12 months in the past, so maybe TPC Deere Run will increase his momentum. He is at present ninetieth in strokes gained placing, 30 spots worse than the place he completed final 12 months on this metric.
“I made fairly good modifications and am trending with the putter properly,” he mentioned.
“I feel that’s helped. I’ve been hitting the ball nicely, hitting numerous fairways, and giving myself numerous alternatives. It’s been good to have numerous good occasions in the summertime months. This is sort of the time you wish to be taking part in nicely.”
Last 12 months, the Austrian was the final participant within the Tour Championship discipline.
Straka now sits seventeenth within the FedEx Cup standings this time round and is twenty fourth on this planet. The 31-year-old is attempting to return to Atlanta and maintain his sizzling streak going.
To get to Atlanta, a participant should end contained in the Top 30 of the FedEx Cup standings. Straka is safely in proper now, however taking part in nicely might assist him out much more. The PGA Tour staggers the beginning scores in Atlanta. First place begins at 10-under. Second place is at 8-under, third sits at 7-under, fourth is 6-under, and fifth is 5-under.
Players ranked 6-Tenth will start the event at 4-under. Those ranked 11-Fifteenth begin a 3-under, a 2-under begin goes to the gamers ranked 16-Twentieth, the 21-Twenty fifth gamers are at 1-under, and the ultimate 4 gamers begin at even par.
If the Tour Championship began subsequent week, Straka would begin at 2-under, so if he performed nicely within the subsequent few weeks, he might earn a greater beginning rating.
“You all the time wish to end the 12 months in Atlanta,” Straka mentioned.
“Don’t wish to miss out on the final event. I really feel just like the final couple of months, I’ve given myself a fairly good likelihood to get there. Few extra tournaments left, one main, after which the factors ramp up for the playoffs. There is numerous motion this late within the season, and if you happen to can play, it’s very nice to be in Memphis in place.”
Straka will try to turn into the primary repeat champion on the John Deere Classic since Steve Stricker received three in a row from 2009 to 2011.
He is paired with 2021 John Deere Classic winner Lucas Glover and 2015 PGA Championship winner Jason Day on Thursday and Friday. They tee off at 1:49 p.m. ET for Round 1 and eight:29 a.m. ET for the second spherical.
Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf employees author for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For extra golf protection, observe us @_PlayingThrough on all main social platforms. You also can observe her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.
