American Dream for Austrian golfer at The Honda Classic

By Pia Perthen, Contributing Writer

What do “Governator” Arnold Schwarzenegger (bodybuilder, actor/terminator, and governor of California and Sepp Straka have in common?

Both are Austrian men who came to the USA to fulfill their dream and succeeded.

• 

• 

The Austro-American Sepp (Austrian short for Josef) Straka was born in Vienna, Austria, and moved to Georgia in 2007 to, among other things, perfect his golf game. With his twin brother, he played on the college team of Georgia University and is therefore also called The Georgia Bulldog. He and Austrian Matthias Schwab (Alumni Vanderbilt University, T7 Honda Classic) are now looked up to by many Austrian boys and girls playing college golf in the USA.

This year’s Honda Classic Golf Tournament was historic because Sepp Straka is the first Austrian golfer to win the Professional Golfers Association (PGA) Tour.

Saint Leo University’s women’s golf team was live at the venue.

The women’s golf team had the unique opportunity to go to the PGA Tournament Honda Classic in Palm Beach Gardens on their Day Off. One of their teammates, Laurence Lamer, got the golf team tickets through a generous donation from a family friend. Coach Lyndsey Bevill organized to drive a little over three hours to this prestige tournament.

It is a dream come true for any golfer to see the best golfers in the world live in action at a first-class tournament. The atmosphere around the tees and greens is unique and often leaves a tingle or shiver on the skin.

“I like to see how the players behave, see their routines and learn from the best!” said Synne Lauritzen, senior on the University’s women’s golf team. Lauritzen is currently pursuing a Master of Business Administration.

Attending the PGA tour was an opportunity to witness great talents play, but players on the University’s golf team met some well admired and respected players.

“When I met my idol Lexi Thompson it reminded me that hard work pays off!” said Cajsa Strandberg, Freshman, majoring in business marketing.

To add to Strandberg’s comment, fellow SLU women’s golfer Maya Cote said, “Idols are people who inspire and shape us as we look up to them. It was so cool to see Lexi supporting her brother and inspiring young female golfers along the way.” Cote is a freshman majoring in sports business.

The PGA National is a prestigious golf course and has experience hosting the Hondo Classic Golf Tournament.

The New York Times described the PGA National layout from the tips with 7,045 yards as a king cobra that rises without warning to strike down the world’s best golfers. Therefore, only the players who succeed in taming this snake will have the chance to win at the Honda Classic.

For the Austrian golfers, it was remarkable to see Sepp Straka live or on television claiming his first win on the PGA Tour for Austria. Austria is a ski nation and has already hosted the Olympic Winter Games twice in Innsbruck. Therefore, it is a bit of a sensation that there are now three golfers on major tours, and it is a historic sensation that Sepp Straka, an Austrian golfer, is winning a PGA tournament for the first time. Additionally, he won $1.44 Million and has gained 500 FedEx cup points.

Straka showed strong nerves throughout the tournament but impressed viewers with his golf skills.

Straka started into the final round with a T-2 place and had a bad start as he missed a 2-feet putt for Par on the first hole. However, he fought back and brilliantly showed off his golf game as he played three birdies on the last five holes and played the Bear Trap (that is how holes number 15, 16, and 17 are called) under one. He arrived on the last hole tied with Shane Lowry, but Straka showed strong nerves and played a birdie on the 18th hole, even though a massive downpour developed suddenly and almost flooded the greens. This win led to an exciting finish because Shane Lowry managed to play a Par on his last hole, and therefore, Austrian history was made!