SUPER SEPP:Straka shakes off nerves, rules American Express

LOS ANGELES (AFP) — Austrian Sepp Straka conquered his nerves to capture his third US PGA Tour title in convincing style Sunday, firing a two-under-par 70 to win the American Express in La Quinta, California by two strokes.

Straka started the day with a four-shot lead over a trio of players and led by the same margin after his fourth birdie of the day at the par-three 13th — the toughest hole on the Stadium Course.

But it wouldn’t be a smooth march to the finish. Straka’s lead dwindled to three strokes after his first bogey of the week at the par-five 16th, where his second shot from the fairway drifted right and his 15-foot putt to save par slipped past the hole.

He would bogey the 18th as well, but his 25-under-par total put him two clear of former world number one Justin Thomas, who carded a six-under-par 66 for 265.

Another former world No. 1, Australian Jason Day, dropped out of a tie with Thomas with a bogey at 18, finishing with a three-under-par 69 that left him tied for third with American Justin Lower, who also posted a 69.

Despite his big lead to start the day Straka said it was “nerves, complete nerves” coming down the stretch.

“Stomach in a knot the whole nine,” said the 31-year-old, although he gave none of that away with his outwardly unruffled demeanor.

Straka launched his round with an 11-foot birdie at the first and added birdies at the fourth and seventh.

Charlie Hoffman, the 36-hole co-leader who started the day tied for second with Lower and Day, made four birdies on the front nine to slice a shot off Straka’s lead.

But the 48-year-old saw his chances of a fifth career title — and his first since 2016 — disappear for good with a triple-bogey six at the 13th, where he was in the water twice.

Hoffman finished with a one-under-par 71 that left him tied for fifth with Patrick Cantlay, who posted a 70.

“This golf course, you can’t really let up,” Straka said.

“I think that the biggest challenge today was keeping aggressive on my targets.

“I had a lot of chances for bogeys out there, but the putter saved me a lot of times.”

Thomas, who won the most recent of his 15 titles at the 2022 PGA Championship, got off to a strong start in his bid to erase a six-shot deficit.