Straka overcame a stern examination of his fortitude in impressive style (Image: Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images)
Luke Donald, the European Ryder Cup captain, had a great Sunday as two of his players celebrated significant victories across the globe. LIV Golf contender Tyrrell Hatton kicked things off by clinching the Dubai Desert Classic title, outplaying a group which included golfing heavyweight Rory McIlroy.
The triumphs continued with Sepp Straka coasting to success at The American Express in California.
Straka, part of Donald’s triumphant team in Rome in 2023, notched his third PGA Tour win, concluding an emphatic 25-under-par, edging past Justin Thomas by two strokes at the PGA West Pete Dye Stadium Course. Meanwhile, ex-World No.1 Jason Day finished just a little behind at 22-under.
The Austrian maestro laid the groundwork in the first three rounds of the event, which took place on varied courses, entering the final round with a solid four-shot margin. Then, at age 31, he capitalized on this lead magnificently, navigating a challenging two-under-par at the notorious Stadium Course, and firmly closing the competition for the leaderboard.
Tyrrell Hatton and Justin Thomas had differing fortunes on Sunday (Image: Getty)
This victory vaulted Straka into the top 20 of the Official World Golf Ranking, quashing the disappointment of a winless 2024. Despite a display of composure, Straka conceded that he battled nerves, revealing his gut was “in a knot” during the nail-biting back nine.
He revealed: “Definitely not comfortable. That’s quite the opposite. I never really felt safe with the lead all day. Charley [Hoffman] was making birdies, Jason [Day] was making birdies, I think Justin [Thomas] was playing well ahead of us.”
He also credited his early performance: “It was tough. I’m glad I came out firing and made some birdies early, because if I played even par on the front, which would have been a pretty good score, I think I would have had a one-shot lead going into the back, which would have been a little bit of a different story, so those early birdies were huge.”
Sepp Straka claimed his third PGA Tour title on Sunday (Image: Joe Scarnici/Getty Images)
European golfers are kicking off the year strongly, with Team Great Britain and Ireland witnessing winning performances from Hatton, Justin Rose, and Tommy Fleetwood in this month’s Team Cup. Additionally, Ludvig Aberg has marked his PGA Tour return post-injury with a top-five finish.
Despite a somewhat slow start at Emirates Golf Club, Rory McIlroy’s final six-under-par round gave him a glimmer of hope for victory, but Hatton ultimately emerged as the winner with a statement performance. Nonetheless, McIlroy’s strong finish propels him positively into the new season.
Viktor Hovland’s ongoing struggles will undoubtedly worry Donald. Both he and LIV Golf champion Jon Rahm failed to make the cut in Dubai, but while the Spaniard can draw confidence from a string of good results last season, Hovland has been off his game since his FedEx Cup victory in 2023.
Both he and Donald are eager for him to regain his form swiftly.