Sepp Straka facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sepp Straka
Straka in 2016
Personal information
Full name	Josef Straka
Nickname	Sepp
Born	(1993-05-01) 1 May 1993 (age 31) Vienna, Austria
Height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight	235 lb (107 kg; 16.8 st)
Nationality	Austria
Residence	Vestavia Hills, Alabama, U.S.
Career
College	University of Georgia
Turned professional	2016
Current tour(s)	PGA Tour European Tour
Former tour(s)	Korn Ferry Tour PGA Tour Canada
Professional wins	3
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour	2
Web.com Tour	1
Best results in Major Championships
The Masters Tournament	T16: 2024
U.S. Open	T28: 2019
The Open Championship	T2: 2023
PGA Championship	T7: 2023

Josef "Sepp" Straka (born 1 May 1993) is an Austrian professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour, where he has won twice.

Amateur career

Straka represented Austria, on the same team as his twin brother Sam, at the 2011 European Boys' Team Championship. Team Austria finished second (a tied all-time best), losing in the final against Spain with Jon Rahm on the team.

Straka played collegiate golf at the University of Georgia from 2011 to 2016, not playing during the 2013–2014 season.

Professional career

Straka turned professional after completing college and played a number of tournaments on the 2016 PGA Tour Canada. He qualified for the 2017 Web.com Tour season. His best finish in 25 events was 7th in the El Bosque Mexico Championship.

Straka became the first Austrian golfer to earn a PGA Tour card after finishing tied for 3rd place in the Web.com Tour Championship. Earlier in the year, Straka secured his first professional victory by winning the Web.com Tour's KC Golf Classic by one stroke.

In his first season on the PGA Tour, Straka's best finish was a 3rd place at the 2019 Barbasol Championship, the alternate event to the 2019 Open Championship. Straka also played in his first career major championship at the 2019 U.S. Open, after finishing tied for the lowest score at the sectional qualifying in Milton, Ontario. An opening round of 68 left Straka in a tie for 8th, and though two over-par rounds would follow, a final round of 67 left Straka in a tie for 28th place. Straka finished the regular PGA Tour in 107th place on the FedEx Cup rankings, to qualify him for the 2019 FedEx Cup Playoffs and ensure he would keep his card for the 2020 season.

Straka competed in the Men's individual event at the 2020 Summer Olympics, finishing tied-10th overall.

In February 2022, Straka became the first Austrian to win on the PGA Tour when he won The Honda Classic in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. He shot a final round 66 to win by one shot over Shane Lowry. In August 2022, Straka tied for the lead with Will Zalatoris after 72 holes at the FedEx St. Jude Championship; on the third sudden-death playoff hole, he hit his tee shot into the water, and Zalatoris prevailed with a bogey.

Early in the 2022–23 PGA Tour season, at the Sanderson Farms Championship, Straka lost another sudden-death playoff, this time to Mackenzie Hughes. In July 2023, Straka won the John Deere Classic for his second win on the tour. Following this, Straka finished a joint second in The Open Championship to Brian Harman, six shots back, but his best finish in a major to date.

In September 2023, Straka played on the European team in the 2023 Ryder Cup at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Guidonia, Rome, Italy. The European team won 16.5–11.5 and Straka went 1–2–0 including a loss in his Sunday singles match against Justin Thomas.

Personal life

Straka was born in Vienna, Austria, to an American mother and an Austrian father. His family moved to Valdosta, Georgia, when Straka was aged 14. His twin brother, Sam, also played on the golf team at the University of Georgia, where Straka graduated in business management.

Professional wins (3)

PGA Tour wins (2)

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	Margin of victory	Runner(s)-up
1	27 Feb 2022	The Honda Classic	−10 (71-64-69-66=270)	1 stroke	Shane Lowry
2	9 Jul 2023	John Deere Classic	−21 (73-63-65-62=263)	2 strokes	Alex Smalley, Brendon Todd

PGA Tour playoff record (0–2)

No.	Year	Tournament	Opponent	Result
1	2022	FedEx St. Jude Championship	Will Zalatoris	Lost to bogey on third extra hole
2	2022	Sanderson Farms Championship	Mackenzie Hughes	Lost to birdie on second extra hole

Web.com Tour wins (1)

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	Margin of victory	Runner-up
1	5 Aug 2018	KC Golf Classic	−22 (64-65-64-69=262)	1 stroke	Kyle Jones

Results in major championships

Results not in chronological order in 2020.

     Top 10      Did not play CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
NT = no tournament due to COVID-19 pandemic

Summary

• Most consecutive cuts made – 4 (2019 U.S. Open – 2022 PGA)
• Longest streak of top-10s – 1 (twice)

Results in The Players Championship

     Top 10 CUT = missed the halfway cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place

Results in World Golf Championships

¹Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
"T" = Tied
NT = No tournament
Note that the Champions was discontinued from 2023.

Team appearances

Amateur

• European Boys' Team Championship (representing Austria): 2011

Professional

• Hero Cup (representing Continental Europe): 2023 (winners)
• Ryder Cup (representing Europe): 2023 (winners)

See also

• 2018 Web.com Tour Finals graduates