Straka To Represent Austria In Olympics
June 30, 2021 | Men's Golf
ATHENS, Ga. --- Former Georgia golfer Sepp Straka has qualified as a member of Austria's squad for next month's Olympic Games, according to an announcement Wednesday by the Austrian Golf Association.
The men's golf competition will take place July 29-Aug. 1 at Kasumigaseki Country Club in Kawagoe, Saitama, Japan — approximately 30 miles from Tokyo. The opening ceremony is set for July 23.
Straka becomes the second Bulldog to qualify for the Olympics. Bubba Watson played for the United States in the Rio Games in 2016.
"This is a tremendous honor, getting the opportunity to represent Austria," Straka said. "I am very proud of my heritage, so being able to play for Austria in the Olympics is a dream come true. It also means the world to me to be going to the Olympics as a Bulldog. Our Georgia program has such an amazing tradition, and I'm glad to be adding this moment to the list."
Straka was born in Vienna and played, along with his twin brother Sam, for the Austrian National Team, including a second-place squad finish in the 2011 European Boys Team Championship in the Czech Republic. After his family relocated to Valdosta, Ga., Straka competed for the Bulldogs in 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2016. A team captain, he earned All-SEC recognition his final year as the Bulldogs claimed the conference title. (Sam Straka lettered for the Bulldogs from 2012-15 and won the 2012 Brickyard Collegiate Championship.)
Sepp Straka claimed the 2018 Web.com Tour's KC Golf Classic and became the first Austrian-born player to earn a PGA Tour card by finishing third on the money list. Straka has seven top-10 and 16 top-25 efforts in his PGA Tour career. He came in fifth in the Vivint Houston Open, ninth in the Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship, and 10th in the Travelers Championship earlier this season.
The 60-man field for the Tokyo Games was determined by using the Official World Golf Rankings to create the Olympic Golf Rankings. The top 15 OWGR players were eligible for the Olympics, with a limit of four players from one country. After the top 15, players were eligible based on the OWGR, with a maximum of two eligible players from each country that did not already have two or more players on the list.
Austria placed two golfers in the field, and Straka will be joined by Matthias Schwab, who competed collegiately for Vanderbilt. Schwab is No. 33 in the OGR and No. 118 in the OWGR, while Straka is Nos. 44 and 174, respectively. Bernd Wiesberger, who is ranked No. 54 in the OWGR, opted not to participate in the Olympics.
The men's golf competition will take place July 29-Aug. 1 at Kasumigaseki Country Club in Kawagoe, Saitama, Japan — approximately 30 miles from Tokyo. The opening ceremony is set for July 23.
Straka becomes the second Bulldog to qualify for the Olympics. Bubba Watson played for the United States in the Rio Games in 2016.
"This is a tremendous honor, getting the opportunity to represent Austria," Straka said. "I am very proud of my heritage, so being able to play for Austria in the Olympics is a dream come true. It also means the world to me to be going to the Olympics as a Bulldog. Our Georgia program has such an amazing tradition, and I'm glad to be adding this moment to the list."
Straka was born in Vienna and played, along with his twin brother Sam, for the Austrian National Team, including a second-place squad finish in the 2011 European Boys Team Championship in the Czech Republic. After his family relocated to Valdosta, Ga., Straka competed for the Bulldogs in 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2016. A team captain, he earned All-SEC recognition his final year as the Bulldogs claimed the conference title. (Sam Straka lettered for the Bulldogs from 2012-15 and won the 2012 Brickyard Collegiate Championship.)
Sepp Straka claimed the 2018 Web.com Tour's KC Golf Classic and became the first Austrian-born player to earn a PGA Tour card by finishing third on the money list. Straka has seven top-10 and 16 top-25 efforts in his PGA Tour career. He came in fifth in the Vivint Houston Open, ninth in the Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship, and 10th in the Travelers Championship earlier this season.
The 60-man field for the Tokyo Games was determined by using the Official World Golf Rankings to create the Olympic Golf Rankings. The top 15 OWGR players were eligible for the Olympics, with a limit of four players from one country. After the top 15, players were eligible based on the OWGR, with a maximum of two eligible players from each country that did not already have two or more players on the list.
Austria placed two golfers in the field, and Straka will be joined by Matthias Schwab, who competed collegiately for Vanderbilt. Schwab is No. 33 in the OGR and No. 118 in the OWGR, while Straka is Nos. 44 and 174, respectively. Bernd Wiesberger, who is ranked No. 54 in the OWGR, opted not to participate in the Olympics.
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