Sepp Straka entered the final round of The American Express with a lead for the first time in his PGA Tour career, a situation that brought its own set of nerves. In previous victories, Straka had always played catch-up, but this time he faced the pressure head-on, drawing motivation from a quote by Kirby Smart, the football coach from his alma mater, the University of Georgia, who famously stated, “We will not be hunted.”
Maintaining a strategic approach, Straka played aggressively throughout the tournament and secured a comfortable two-stroke win over Justin Thomas. The 31-year-old Austrian finished the tournament at 25-under par with a final round score of 70 on the challenging Stadium Course. “This course kind of makes it easy (to stay focused), because you just have to hit your shots,” Straka commented, emphasizing the importance of precision, especially with the firm greens.
Following a strong start, Straka took a four-shot lead into the final day of the historic Coachella Valley event. He faced a moment of vulnerability with two bogeys occurring in the final three holes, but they did little to affect his overall performance, as none of his rivals succeeded in catching up. This victory marked his first since his son Leo was born in December 2023, and despite the pressure, he handled the day’s uncertainty with remarkable composure.
“Nerves, just complete nerves,” he admitted, acknowledging the butterflies in his stomach. “So, yeah, just really excited about the way I handled the pressure today.” Thomas, who shot a final round of 66, ended at 23 under, placing him one stroke ahead of Justin Lower and Jason Day, both of whom finished with scores of 20 under. Day’s finish marked his first top-three result since the 2023 British Open.
Straka displayed remarkable skill with 27 birdies across the tournament, tying him for the most made by any player. His performance included a strong start where he secured birdies on the opening hole and again on the fourth. By No. 13, he had boosted his lead back to four strokes after making yet another birdie.
Thomas experienced a promising early round with six birdies in his first eleven holes, reducing Straka’s lead to three strokes. However, his momentum faltered as he faced a string of pars on the back nine in his quest for a win since 2022. “I had a chance,” Thomas reflected, stating his pride in how he played early on, although he wished he could have maintained that intensity through the later holes.
Day was unable to capitalize on the opportunity during his time in the final group with Straka. After a bogey on the 15th hole, he found himself out of contention. Likewise, Charley Hoffman, who was also in the final group, faced difficulties after two poor tee shots on the par-3 13th, which resulted in a triple bogey.
Straka’s confidence was visible from the start, and he continued to put himself in prime positions to succeed. As defending champion, Nick Dunlap finished the event with a 68, tying for 34th place, while Nick Taylor, winner of the Sony Open, maintained his early-season form with a 67, finishing tied for 12th among a competitive field.
