Sepp Straka steals the spotlight in Philly, outduels JT and Lowry to win the Truist Championship

Sepp Straka is no longer just the “big man with the big swing.” He’s officially a Signature Event closer.

The 32-year-old Austrian took down a stacked leaderboard at the Truist Championship on Sunday, posting a rock-solid 68 to lock up his fourth PGA TOUR win, and arguably his biggest yet, at the historic Philadelphia Cricket Club’s Wissahickon Course.

Sepp Straka wins the 2025 Truist Championship

A cricket bat trophy for a win at Philly Cricket Club 🏏 pic.twitter.com/x1HnfgiOxW

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 11, 2025

Straka’s 16-under 264 was good enough to fend off Justin Thomas and Shane Lowry, who both lurked all day but couldn’t quite apply enough heat down the stretch. For Straka, it’s his second win of 2025 (he also bagged the American Express) and moves him all the way up to No. 2 in the FedExCup standings—hot on Scottie Scheffler’s heels.

“It’s special,” Straka said afterward. “This course demands your full game, and I love when it gets tough late on Sunday. This is right up there with any win I’ve had.”

It sure is. The big man did it with the flatstick, finishing 2nd in Strokes Gained: Putting (8.660)—a ridiculous stat considering he came in ranked 63rd in that category this season. In other words, Sepp flipped the switch at Wissahickon, and the field couldn’t keep up.

Sepp Straka wins the signature event, the @TruistChamp! 👏 pic.twitter.com/gjQPsLMWmf

— Golf on CBS ⛳ (@GolfonCBS) May 11, 2025

Heartbreak Hotel for Lowry, JT Keeps Collecting Runner-Ups

Let’s just call it what it is—Shane Lowry choked it away. The Irishman was in prime position to force Sepp Straka to blink but bogeyed two of his last three holes (16 and 18) and had to settle for T2 after a deflating even-par 70.

That’s now another close call for Lowry, whose last solo win on TOUR remains the 2019 Open Championship. He led the field in Strokes Gained: Approach (6.720), but the putter betrayed him when it mattered most.

Full Coverage: 2025 Truist Championship >>

Justin Thomas is playing great golf but just can’t get over the line. Sunday’s T2 finish (-14) marks his third runner-up this year and 10th of his career. No one on TOUR has more silvers than JT in 2025. It’s the year of the bridesmaid for Thomas—again.

Cantlay, Bridgeman, Fleetwood Share Fourth, but No Trophies (Again) for Tommy

Patrick Cantlay surged late with a 65, snagging another top-five finish (T4)—his third this season. Jacob Bridgeman? He’s the putting monster you didn’t know you needed. Bridgeman holed a jaw-dropping 531 feet, 4 inches of putts—ninth-most in ShotLink history. That’s an entire football field’s worth of bombs.

Tommy Fleetwood. Always steady. Another top-five (his 26th, if you’re counting) without a win. Only Bobby Wadkins (29) has more top-fives without a trophy on TOUR. At this point, Fleetwood and second-place finishes might as well go steady.

Final Thought: Wissahickon Delivers, Straka Shines

All in all, the first Signature Event ever held at Philadelphia Cricket Club’s Wissahickon Course delivered exactly what the PGA TOUR hoped for—classic architecture, tough greens, and a leaderboard dripping with star power.

But in the end, it was Sepp Straka holding the $3.6 million check, while Lowry and JT are left wondering what could have been.

For us at The Liberty Line and Better Rounds, we called a Sepp Straka win before the part even started. Worth a flex. Sorry. What else would you expect from two websites that are PGA TOUR credentialed and covered the event Monday-Sunday?

Nailed it. @LibertyLinePHL pic.twitter.com/xnzS21fBkI

— Better Rounds (@BetterRoundsGC) May 11, 2025

Philly might be known for its underdogs, but this time the big Austrian took home the purse.

Join The Chase