Because the defending champion of The American Specific, Sepp Straka could be the one the others are all trying to beat, however the Austrian says he feels the depth of the competitors popping out to kick off the 2026 PGA Tour schedule on Thursday in La Quinta, Calif.
“I believe the competitors, the truth that you bought to beat … I suppose there was 156 guys, and now it is 100-whatever guys. It is lots of actually, actually, actually good gamers which can be all taking part in the identical golf course,” Straka instructed reporters at Wednesday’s match press convention.
“They’re all attempting to win. You probably have the lead, then everyone’s attempting to make birdies to attempt to beat you, and you may’t make errors. So I believe simply the depth of the competitors is what makes it actually laborious.”
Straka’s two-shot win over Justin Thomas at this match final season set the muse for an excellent yr. He performed for the victorious European Ryder Cup group and earlier received the Truist Championship in Could for his fourth PGA Tour title, which he mentioned was greater than he thought he’d have when he began taking part in professionally.
But, he mentioned he nonetheless finds himself striving for extra.
“As you develop, as you get these, then impulsively you are considering it is not sufficient. So it is by no means going to be sufficient, irrespective of the place you might be,” Straka mentioned.
The advance within the stage of aggressive play in recent times has solely made gaining wins more difficult, the 32-year-old instructed reporters.
“Yearly you bought new expertise popping out, younger guys popping out, which can be unbelievably good at golf, and which can be means higher than I used to be after I was popping out of school or highschool. So, yeah, it is actually powerful. And it should hold getting youthful, and it should hold getting extra athletic, sooner. You simply do not know the way for much longer you bought, however you bought to only hold attempting to get higher at golf and hopefully it is adequate.”
Whereas another golfers set match wins as targets, Straka mentioned he units his sights in a different way.
“My targets are extra of each day. So each day I wish to make sure that I do my placing drills. I wish to make sure that I do my drills on the vary. I do my Trackman mix. I’m going within the gymnasium and do my swing drills, my technical drills. And, hopefully, these find yourself leading to some good tournaments,” he mentioned.
“My objective is at all times to enhance my golf sport and proceed my course of. Particularly in apply, simply proceed to do all of the issues that form of enhance my golf sport, and that is going to be my objective once more this yr is to attempt to enhance.”
–Discipline Degree Media
