Luke Donald was, once again, the big winner after the latest PGA Tour event, with Sepp Straka, Shane Lowry, Tommy Fleetwood and Rory McIlroy all finishing inside the top 10 at the Truist Championship.
A number of players will be fairly pleased with their preparations leading into the PGA Championship. Justin Thomas contended once again, while Shane Lowry will feel that he should have at least ended up in a playoff at the Truist Championship.
Lowry and Sepp Straka traded the lead for much of the final day at Philadelphia Cricket Club. But some mistakes in the final few holes from Lowry allowed the Austrian to secure his second win of the year after The American Express.
Of course, with the pair teammates on the 2023 European Ryder Cup team, there may have been some divided loyalty as they came down the stretch.
Rory McIlroy praised for what he did after the Truist Championship
However, many may have expected Rory McIlroy to be willing Lowry across the line, given their friendship. And it was notable that McIlroy was glued to watching the television screen as Lowry nearly chipped in on the 15th hole for eagle.
Nevertheless, McIlroy was there to embrace Straka as he walked off the 18th green. And speaking on Sky Sports, Simon Holmes suggested that The Masters champion deserves real credit for sticking around to meet the two men in the final group.
“They are thinking Ryder Cup and they are thinking Bethpage. Rory needs Sepp to know, mate, I need you to step up. You are going to be one of my big, big players on this team. Great class from Rory to be hanging around. Why is he hanging around? He is thinking of his buddy,” he said.
The next step for Sepp Straka
Straka is not one of the biggest names on the PGA Tour. He has just two top 10s in his major championship career, and he may not have been a player that many would have previously tipped to be a certainty to make the Ryder Cup team later this year.
But that place at Bethpage is surely all but in the bag now. And Holmes suggested that it is now time for Straka to prove his talent in one of the sport’s four biggest events.
“He has just beaten every single of the best players apart from Scottie Scheffler. You are thinking the next thing after this is a major. It is a big, big jump. It validates the work that you have done. He has picked up some nice events, John Deere, American Express but nothing like a signature event on the PGA Tour. It is a big jump. Not many players make that jump. Look who he has joined this year. It’s great for European hopes,” he said.
Straka finished tied for seventh at the PGA Championship two years ago. He should now have a lot of confidence that he can potentially better that in the coming days at Quail Hollow.
Receive exclusive golf news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
