Sepp Straka's Near-Perfect Run at American Express Falls Short of Rare PGA Tour Record
Sepp Straka secured his third PGA Tour win at the American Express, finishing at 25-under-par despite narrowly missing a chance at making golf history.
Straka maintained a bogey-free streak for 69 consecutive holes before faltering on the 16th hole. Had he completed the tournament without a bogey, he would have joined an elite group of only three players who have won a 72-hole stroke play event without making a single bogey: Lee Trivino (1974 Greater New Orleans Open), J.T. Poston (2019 Wyndham Championship), and Tom Kim (2022 Shriners Children's Open).
The crucial moment came at the 16th hole when Straka flared his second shot right after a lengthy wait. Avoiding PGA West's notorious bunker, he left his third shot short of the green. His pitch from 50 feet came up short, and his par putt missed, ending his bogey-free streak.
Straka explained the bogey resulted from a combination of avoiding the infamous bunker and an unfortunate lie near the cart path. Despite making another bogey on the 18th, he successfully held off Jason Day and Justin Thomas to claim victory.
His exceptional putting throughout the tournament proved crucial, gaining 1.96 shots on the greens and ranking seventh among players who completed all four rounds.
Notably, Taylor Moore achieved a remarkable feat by completing all 72 holes without a bogey, though finishing tied for seventh at 19-under. Moore became the first player since Joaquin Niemann at the 2021 Rocket Mortgage Classic to complete a bogey-free tournament without winning.
The victory made Straka the seventh International player to win the American Express, demonstrating impressive course management and nerve control while protecting his lead throughout the final round.