ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. — If Peter Straka had not needed to buy a new golf glove at the counter of a course in Austria, the newest PGA Tour star from the University of Georgia might not have been born.
Straka’s mother, Mary, was an avid golf fan and had moved from Georgia to Austria to be with her boyfriend, a native of that country who was involved in golf course architecture.
The relationship ended but she fell in love with Austria, stayed on and went to work at a pro shop in Salzburg.
When her eyes locked with Peter Straka, it started another chain of events. This time, the relationship was lasting. The two got married and she gave birth to twin boys, Josef (nicknamed “Sepp”) and Sam.
Nearly three decades later, Sepp Straka has become the 11th Georgia Bulldog product to win on the PGA Tour, finished seventh in last year’s FedEx Cup standings and given his knack for playing well on tough courses, was a pre-tournament betting favorite in this week’s RSM Classic, which began on Thursday at the Sea Island Club Seaside and Plantation Courses.
The RSM Classic is the final event of the Tour’s fall schedule. The Tour will break for the holidays and resume in January in Hawaii with the Sentry Tournament of Champions — where Straka will realize another perk for winning the Honda Classic last February, getting a berth at Kapalua.
He already clinched spots for the first time in The Players, Masters and British Open.
“The whole season was kind of a dream come true,” said Straka, who is now residing in Athens, Georgia. “Playing the 150th Open at St. Andrews was amazing, with my brother on the bag there. There’s just so many tournaments that I’ve always kind of dreamed of playing and was able to play last year…dreams come true.”
They have been dreams that have spanned two continents.
Adjusting to South Georgia life
The Straka twins were athletic from the start, concentrating mostly on soccer and golf. They became members of the Austrian national junior team and when they were 13, they moved to Georgia so their mother could be closer to her family.
Initially, Straka said it was a bit of a culture shock — two brothers from Austria now living in South Georgia.
Sepp Straka walks from the seventh green during the final round of the Sanderson Farms Championship at The Country Club of Jackson on October 02, 2022 in Jackson, Mississippi. (Photo by Raj Mehta/Getty Images)
But it didn’t take long for them to adjust, especially since they…
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