Having reached the point in the year when every result seems to have Ryder Cup implications, Sepp Straka found an ideal time to catch what he’s been chasing.
With a final-round 62 that included a double bogey on the 72nd hole, Straka won the John Deere Classic by two strokes over Brendon Todd and Alex Smalley and, in the process, made a strong push to be included on the European Ryder Cup team in late September.
“I did say in my interview (Saturday) there’s been a 59 (at TPC Deere Run, by Paul Goydos in the first round of the 2010 JDC). Anybody could have gone out there and shot a great round today, and he did it,” said Todd, who led by one stroke entering the final round.
European captain Luke Donald will have six at-large choices to make later this summer ahead of the match on September 30-October 1 at Marco Simone in Rome, Italy. Straka, who was 10th on the world points list for the European side entering last week, figures to be on Donald’s short list of candidates.
“September is a few months away,” Straka said. “Glad my game is in good shape and I hope I can make a push for this.”
Straka, 30, who was born in Austria to an American mother and an Austrian father, moved to Valdosta, Georgia, as a teenager and played golf at the University of Georgia. He flirted with the PGA Tour’s all-time 18-hole scoring record of 58, held by Jim Furyk in the final round of the 2016 Travelers Championship, until a disappointing finish.
Straka stood 11-under through 14 holes on the par-71 TPC Deere Run course before his run stalled. After pars at Nos. 15-17, and needing a birdie at the par-4 finishing hole, Straka pulled his approach shot into the water, leading to a double bogey.
“That was the first bad shot I hit,” Straka said of his second at No. 18.
Straka, however, achieved his primary goal of winning for the second time on the PGA Tour.
“The 59 was nowhere in my head,” he said. “I knew I had a chance, but in that situation, the only thing that really mattered was trying to win the golf tournament.”
Straka shot 73 in the first round and found himself in 133rd place. A text message from his putting coach on Thursday night led to a tweak in his setup (Straka set his hands higher at address), and the results were immediate.
“I found some magic,” Straka said. “You’ve got to get the putter hot. Thankfully, it stayed hot.”
Playing about one hour before the final groups, Straka posted his 21-under 263 total and then had a nervous wait before his win became official.
“I knew somebody was going to make a push today,” said Straka, who climbed to 27th in the Official World Golf Ranking. “Birdies are out there. I had a really good ball-striking day and a hot putter. I tried not to think about the situation too much and just try to keep making birdies.”
Ron Green Jr.