Sepp Straka had never entered a final round with a lead on the PGA Tour until Sunday. In his two previous victories, he had to charge from far behind on the final day with no time to feel the nerves that roiled his stomach from the first tee onward at The American Express.

Sepp Straka held off Justin Thomas by two shots at The American Express to claim his third PGA Tour title; the 31-year-old Austria was on the verge of becoming the first tour player since 2022 to play 72 bogey-free holes in a victory,

Use precise geolocation data. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Store and/or access information on a device. Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. List of Partners (vendors)

Straka shot an 8-under 64 on Saturday in his third straight bogey-free round, staking the newly bald Austrian to a four-shot lead over Charley Hoffman, Jason Day and Justin Lower in the Coachella Valley desert.

With the $918,000 check for finishing second in the $8.8 million event, Thomas becomes the latest PGA Tour player to surpass the $60 million mark in career earnings. He is now 10th all time at $60,827,898, passing Matt Kuchar on the list. Thomas is still just under $60 million shy of all-time leader Tiger Woods.

The win earned the 31-year-old Straka his first title since the 2023 John Deere Classic and the $1,584,000 first-place check, the largest of his career.

Straka played with his first 54-hole lead on the PGA Tour on Sunday, and he managed to maintain control of the tournament until the end.

The final round of the American Express is here, and Sepp Straka has a four-shot lead in search of his third PGA Tour victory.

Sepp Straka won $1,584,000 million for capturing his third PGA Tour title on Jan. 19 at The American Express. It was enough to jump 18 spots on the money list. It wasn't enough to catch Hideki Matsuyama or Collin Morikawa.