ST. SIMONS ISLAND (Ga.) — Peter Straka might not have needed to purchase a new glove at the counter of a course near Austria in order to become the University of Georgia’s newest PGA Tour player.
Mary Straka, Straka’s mom, was a keen golf fan. She had moved from Georgia, Austria, to be with her boyfriend who was a native of Austria and was involved in the design of golf courses.
Although the relationship ended, she fell in love and stayed with Austria. She then went on to work in a pro shop in Salzburg.
It was the beginning of a new series of events when her eyes met with Peter Straka. The relationship was strong this time. They were married, and she gave birth twin boys to Josef (“Sepp”) und Sam.
Nearly thirty years later, Sepp Straka is the 11th Georgia Bulldog winner on the PGA Tour. He finished seventh in the FedEx Cup standings last year and was a betting favorite for this week’s RSM Classic.
The Tour’s final fall event is the RSM Classic. The Tour will be on vacation and resume in January with the Sentry Tournament of Champions in Hawaii. Straka will also get a perk for winning last February’s Honda Classic, getting a Kapalua berth.
Already, he has clinched spots in The Players Masters and British Open.
Straka, now living in Athens (Georgia), said that the whole season was “a kind of a dream come real.” “It was an amazing experience to play the 150th Open at St. Andrews with my brother. I have so many tournaments that I always wanted to play and was able last year to make my dreams come true.
These were dreams that span two continents.
South Georgia Life: How to Adjust
The Straka twins excelled in sports from their youth, playing a lot of soccer and golf. When they were 13 years old, they joined the Austrian junior team. Their mother moved to Georgia to be near her family.
Straka initially said that it was a cultural shock to have two Austrian brothers living in South Georgia.
Sepp Straka takes a walk from the seventh fairway during the final round of The Sanderson Farms Championship at The Country Club of Jackson (October 02, 2022, Jackson, Mississippi). (Photo by Raj Mehta/Getty Images).
They adjusted quickly, even though it was hard to spend so much time apart from their father, an architect in Austria, but it wasn’t difficult.
He said, “It was huge …[Lowndes] It is very different.” We had already spent some time in South Georgia. My mom’s side is also in South Georgia so we visited them often. We kind of knew what was coming, but the differences are huge, mainly in the school aspect.
They continued to improve in golf, and Chris Haack, Georgia coach signed them as a low-cost package deal from Lowndes High. Although they had solid, if not exceptional college careers, Sepp Straka was the one who elevated his game.
Straka elevates the game on difficult tracks
In 2016, he became a professional and was the first Austrian to be awarded a PGA Tour card on the 2018 Korn Ferry Tour. He won the KC Golf Classic, his first pro event. Since then, he has maintained his Tour card.
Straka won the PGA Tour at PGA National last February, winning by five shots. He then rallied to win with three birdies on the last five holes.
Since then, he’s been close to winning playoffs at the FedEx St. Jude Classic (Will Zalatoris) and the Sanderson Farms Classic (Mackenzie Hughes).
Austrian Sepp Straka plays from the eighth tee during The Honda Classic at PGA National Resort And Spa, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida on February 27, 2022. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images).
Straka has a track record of excelling on difficult courses. His victory at PGA National was due to bad weather in the final round. He also tied for ninth at The Players Championship. A tie for third at Harbour Town Golf Links. He tied for fifteenth at Riviera. Straka also tied for seventh at the Tour Championship at East Lake. This tie clinched seventh on the FedEx Cup points standings.
Straka is a good bet with a week of cold, windy weather forecast for Sea Island.
“Sepp is a great golfer,” commented Brian Harman. “He strikes it really well…big, strong guy [Straks stands 6’3”, 235 lbs], and flies the ball…he has a good short game. His ability to control his trajectory is what impresses me most.
Straka stated that the harder courses are a testament to his strengths as a long-range, accurate driver of the ball. However, he also added a caveat.
He said, “When I’m playing well, my driver is very accurate.” When I play well, left and right are not a problem for me. He’s been able to finish those courses where he had great finishes, but it’s still very tight. You still have to hit a lot drivers. That’s my greatest strength when I’m playing my golf game.
Game is still “a work in progress”
Consistency is key. Straka was a top-10 player last season, but missed 14 cuts. He’s currently tied for 45th, tied at 62nd, and missed two cuts since his Sanderson runner-up.
He said, “Looking forward to just a single good week because all of the FedEx Cup point matters and the more early you get, the easier scheduling comes.”
Straka acknowledges that his game is still in its infancy. He just keeps trying to improve.
He said that he is still learning how to practice and prepare, and that he works with John Tillery for the full swing and Tim Albertson for the short game.
He said that he didn’t know much about the process of remaining on the PGA Tour after he got there. “I would come out and just hope that my game is good, and if it wasn’t, I wouldn’t mind.”
It’s much more organized now. A couple of guys help me with my short game, and my swing. They are very helpful. I’m trying to plan my time around this and make sure that I am ready for Thursday.
Others see the potential and believe Straka is a rising star.
Harris English said that Sepp is a solid player. He is a master at everything, and he has no weaknesses in his game. He is very confident, drives straight, wedges it well, and puts it well.
English speculated that English might be the one to step on the first Tee of a Ryder Cup for the U.S. in the future, and Straka would wear the European colors.
English stated that he believes he will be a great Ryder Cup pick, even though it is a strange thing to come from Austria and grow up in Valdosta. He is a Georgian guy, but I think he would make a great Sepp Straka pick as [2023 European captain] Luke Donald.”
Contact Garry Smits, gsmits@gannett.com, and follow him on Twitter @GSmitter
