Charlotte (AFP) – Austria’s Sepp Straka, Norway’s Viktor Hovland, and Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg seek their first major titles at this week’s PGA Championship while also trying to impress Europe Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald. As three of the world’s four highest-ranked players without a major victory, they seek a breakthrough win in the showdown at Quail Hollow starting Thursday, while Donald studies talent for September’s matches against the host Americans at Bethpage Black.
“The majors are important,” Donald said. “That’s the time when everyone gets together on good golf courses and you have stacked fields. Just to see how they’re playing in those is another point that we take into consideration quite a lot.” Only four European golfers have ever won the PGA Championship: England’s Jim Barnes in the 1916 inaugural and 1919, Irishman Padraig Harrington in 2008, Germany’s Martin Kaymer in 2010, and Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy in 2012 and 2014.
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Aberg is world number six, Straka is ranked ninth, and Hovland is 11th. Only world number two McIlroy and Ireland’s 10th-ranked Shane Lowry rate higher among Europeans. Among them, only Straka is in the top six in Cup qualifying points, which after August’s British Masters will be used to select half the Europe team, joined by Donald’s six captain’s picks. Straka won January’s PGA American Express tournament and captured last week’s Truist Championship for his fourth career PGA Tour title to jump among the Cup points leaders.
“The goal all year has been to make that team. Definitely was a little bit behind in the points,” Straka said. “Hopefully I can keep playing well and be in the top six there by the end of the year.” He expects a tough crowd of US supporters near New York. “I think the fans are going to be coming out in full support for the US, and I think it’s going to be fun but in a very different way,” said Straka. “They’re going to make it very challenging and it’s going to be tough. Hopefully I can get my game in shape and keep it going through that time.”
For now, Straka hopes to stay under the radar despite two wins in 2025. “I’m a little bit shy,” he said. “I definitely enjoy being under the radar a little more. It makes it maybe a little bit easier to prepare because you don’t have all the eyeballs on you.”
– ‘Never want to miss it’ –
Aberg, who had not seen Quail Hollow until a May 4 practice round, won his second PGA Tour title at Riviera in February. He was a runner-up at last year’s Masters in his major debut. “The experiences I’ve had over the last two years have definitely helped me,” Aberg said. “Ryder Cup in ’23 definitely helped me because I was able to hang out with those guys I had really only seen on TV up until that point. I want to be on the team this year as well… if you’ve ever been on one team, you never want to miss it again and that’s how I feel about Bethpage this year.”
Hovland, a 27-year-old from Oslo, won the 2023 Tour Championship and PGA playoff crown but had not won since then until March’s Valspar Championship. “I’m still not entirely happy with where I’m at,” Hovland said. “I’m definitely trending in the right direction, but there’s still just some stuff left in there that just doesn’t allow me to play to the level I want.” Hovland’s best finish in 21 major starts was a runner-up effort at the 2023 PGA Championship.
© 2024 AFP
