European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald has reassured fans there are no concerns over Sepp Straka’s readiness for Bethpage, despite the Austrian’s recent withdrawals from key events.
Straka, one of Donald’s six captain’s picks for this month’s Ryder Cup, has enjoyed a stellar season on the PGA Tour, winning both The American Express and the Truist Championship. However, alarm bells rang when the 32-year-old withdrew from the BMW Championship during last month’s FedExCup Playoffs for “personal reasons.”
Although Straka returned for the Tour Championship the following week, he struggled to find form, finishing last in the 30-man field at 7-over-par. He later pulled out of next week’s BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, making him the only European team member who won’t be in attendance.
Donald has now revealed the reason behind Straka’s absence — the birth of his child.
“Everything is okay,” Donald confirmed. “I don’t think an official announcement has been made, but he and his wife welcomed their baby a few weeks ago, prematurely. Everything is going extremely well with their baby, but he just doesn’t want to be so far away — and I think that’s only fair.
“I’ve spoken to Sepp many times. He’s very motivated and continues to work hard on his game. He’ll join us for the practice trip, but that’s why he won’t be at Wentworth.”
Aside from monitoring player form, one of Donald’s key tasks is preparing his team for the notoriously passionate New York crowds at Bethpage Black. To help his players stay composed under pressure, Donald has leaned on advice from tennis legend Novak Djokovic.
“Novak was very gracious to visit our team room two years ago in Rome,” Donald said. “He spoke about dealing with hostile crowds — something he’s experienced a lot in his career.
“He’s one of the greatest in his sport, with the most majors of any men’s tennis player, but not always the crowd favourite. Hearing his perspective on how to stay focused and turn that energy into motivation was invaluable for our players.”
Donald’s message is clear — both Straka’s personal situation and Europe’s Ryder Cup preparations are firmly on track as the team looks to defend the trophy on U.S. soil later this month.
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