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Georgia Bulldogs: Sepp Straka is the best PGA Championship option

By Savannah Leigh

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA - APRIL 17: Sepp Straka of Austria follows his shot on the 18th hole during the final round of the RBC Heritage at Harbor Town Golf Links on April 17, 2022 in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA - APRIL 17: Sepp Straka of Austria follows his shot on the 18th hole during the final round of the RBC Heritage at Harbor Town Golf Links on April 17, 2022 in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) /
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The Georgia Bulldogs have eight playing in the PGA Championship this week at Southern Hills in Tulsa, OK., but there is one that stands out above the rest — Sepp Straka.

A large group of former Dawgs is playing, but something about Straka’s game and Southern Hills screams success.

This track is a 7,556-yard par 70 with just two par 5s on the 18 holes. Those holes are more than 630 yards, so even the bombers will have a test.

However, this golf course will be one that players have to get around strategically, and Straka has the best game to do that.

The Georgia Bulldogs’ best shot at the 104th PGA Championship comes from Sepp Straka.

He has had some recent success as Straka won the Honda Classic earlier this season. He also T3 at the RBC Heritage and T9 at the Players Championship.

Something about the way he plays draws me into him having success at Southern Hills. He is a solid scrambler around the greens and out of the rough, which will help him this week.

Straka finished T73 at the AT&T Byron Nelson last week, but that field was stacked, and that finish didn’t directly reflect how he played. Three 70s and one 69 is usually a good golf tournament, but those guys had a scoring fest, and he wasn’t doing it as much.

His abilities stack up nicely at Southern Hills, and I think his game fits it well. There will be some tight fairways and trees that can really force the golfers to be accurate. When we’ve seen Straka shine, he is one of the most precise on the course.

At the Honda Classic, he hit 76.39% of greens in regulation, had 83.93% driving accuracy, and he gained 1.5 strokes putting. He has what it takes and is playing well enough to make it happen.

Georgia Bulldogs in the PGA Championship and their tee times:

  • Chris Kirk, Dean Burmester & Kyle Mendoza — Rd. 1 @ 8:22 a.m. ET & Rd. 2 @ 3:47 p.m. ET
  • Bubba Watson, Justin Rose & Patrick Reed — Rd. 1 @ 9:22 a.m. ET & Rd. 2 @ 2:47 p.m. ET
  • Brian Harman, Ryan Vermeer & Oliver Bekker — Rd. 1 @ 10:06 a.m. ET & Rd. 2 @ 3:31 p.m. ET
  • Hudson Swafford, Cameron Tringale & Adam Hadwin — Rd. 1 @ 1:52 p.m. ET & Rd. 2 @ 7:27 a.m. ET
  • Russell Henley, Zach Johnson & Cameron Champ — Rd. 1 @ 2:31 p.m. ET & Rd. 2 @ 9:06 a.m. ET
  • Sepp Straka, J.J. Spaun & Adam Schenk — Rd. 1 @ 2:53 p.m. ET & Rd. 2 @ 9:28 a.m. ET
  • Kevin Kisner, Tommy Fleetwood & Billy Horschel — Rd. 1 @ 2:58 p.m. ET & Rd. 2 @ 9:33 a.m. ET
  • Keith Mitchell, Matthew Wolff & Joohyung Kim — Rd. 1 @ 3:03 p.m. ET & Rd. 2 @ 9:39 a.m. ET

There are plenty of opportunities for the other seven Bulldogs to make a run at the PGA Championships, and Straka isn’t the only one who could win it, but he gives us the most confidence right now.

Mitchell is another player who is on a strong run that could find some success in Tulsa. Swafford and Harman are two other players that have played well this year.

Unfortunately, Harris English is still on the mend after having surgery on his labrum, but hopefully, he will return for the U.S. Open and Open Championship.

Tiger Woods and a lot of the other big-time names are in the field this week, and while they’re getting a lot of the thunder, those eight Dawgs have every right to be someone to consider because they are talented and have the game for it.

The PGA Championship is a tough challenge, but these Dawgs are up for it.

Next. Georgia football is easily RBU and Alabama cannot steal that title. dark

Georgia has one of the best golf programs in the country, and they continue to put players into professional golf yearly. These eight playing in a major championship show the talent that comes through Athens.

Fans can watch the PGA Championship on ESPN+, ESPN, ESPN 2, and CBS. Each of those channels will have plenty of viewing opportunities to fit the fans’ needs throughout the four days.

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