GENESIS SCOTTISH OPEN

July 10, 2025

Sepp Straka

The Renaissance Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Sepp, 64 to start. What was the hallmark of that performance?

SEPP STRAKA: Short game, I would say, yeah. My iron play was pretty good. Driver not so much but the chipping was really nice, and I also made a lot of putts. Any time those two are working, the scores usually are going to be pretty good.

Q. You are a greens in regulation machine. You've proving that all season long on the PGA TOUR being the very best but in links golf you do tend to have to chip a little bit. What do you love about this form of the game?

SEPP STRAKA: It's a little bit unpredictable and it puts you in spots where you may be a little bit uncomfortable, and you hit shots that you normally wouldn't hit.

I think that's what makes it the most fun. You'll hit a shot and end up in a place where you never hit the shot before and it's fun to kind of try to pull that off.

Q. It's become abundantly clear that you're one of the best layers in the world playing this great game of ours. How easy is that to come to terms with emotionally?

SEPP STRAKA: I try not to think about it too much to be honest with you. Just keep trying to improve my golf game. That's been the goal for the whole time I've been professional and really since I've been a junior golfer. Just keep trying to improve my golf game and see where we end up.

Q. Opening 64, and you just said this is the best round you've ever had on this golf course. What went well today?

SEPP STRAKA: Short game was really nice. I chipped it really well. Made some putts and I hit the ball okay, driver was a little bit squirrely but yeah, short game saved me today.

The wind picked up around the turn, and yeah, when I got the ball in play, my iron play was pretty good and took advantage of it. But a lot of squirrely drives as well. A few up-and-downs saved me. Yeah, it was a nice way to finish.

Q. What are the challenges of playing links golf, and why do you enjoy it so much?

SEPP STRAKA: I would say it's the predictability. You may lose control of your golf ball. You can pick your spot where you want to land it and that may or may not be the right spot. There's a little more than just luck, I would say. You just have to pick your spots really and you have to be smart about where you land the golf ball, especially when it gets firm like the golf course is now and the wind gets up.

It makes it a lot of fun, and you get into some weird positions and you have to have a lot of shots you wouldn't hit in a regular round.

Q. Can you think of one shot off the top of your head that you would never hit in the United States?

SEPP STRAKA: One that I would hit very rarely was the 4-iron I hit into 18, my ninth hole. I was in between 4-iron and 7-wood and just hit this thing probably 20, 30 feet in the air, just a low bullet and tried to run it back there. Yeah, that would be one example.