Sepp Straka Wins the Truist Championship, Outlasting Shane Lowry Down the Stretch at Philly Cricket

Sunday at Philadelphia Cricket Club came down to two friends, three closing holes and one simple question: who could make the par putts? Sepp Straka made all of them. Shane Lowry did not.

Straka shot a 2-under 68 to win the Truist Championship at 16-under 264, two shots clear of Lowry (70) and Justin Thomas (67). It is the Austrian's second win of the 2025 season after The American Express in January and the fourth PGA TOUR title of Straka's career. Patrick Cantlay, Jacob Bridgeman and Tommy Fleetwood each closed with 65 to tie for fourth at 12 under.

A Front Nine Haymaker

The co-leaders traded blows from the opening hole. Lowry rolled in a 12-foot birdie at the first to break the tie, then birdied the par-5 fifth to reach 16 under. Straka answered on the same hole in a bigger way, holing a 20-foot eagle putt to pull level.

A bogey at the sixth set Straka back briefly, but the next stretch was the best golf anyone played all day. Straka birdied the par-3 eighth to flip places with Lowry, then poured in a 28-footer at the ninth to reach 17 under and open a two-shot lead. Straka's putter had carried the week, and it was carrying Sunday too.

The Wobble

Then it got tense. Straka made back-to-back bogeys at the 10th and 11th, the second after coming up short in a bunker and watching a par putt slide left, per Field Level Media. Just like that, the two-shot cushion was gone and the tournament was tied again.

Straka said the key was refusing to let the wobble become a collapse. "After that, I just told myself just to keep at it, keep just trying to execute each golf shot for what it is," Straka said, per Field Level Media.

The much-hyped 95-yard 14th, the shortest par 3 on TOUR outside the majors in the ShotLink era, turned out to be a non-factor. Neither co-leader capitalized. The par-5 15th was another story. Lowry nearly chipped in for eagle and settled for birdie, and Straka matched it by holing a 6-footer. Still tied, three to play.

Where Lowry Let It Slip

The 212-yard, par-3 16th decided the tournament. Lowry missed the green, had to chop out of thick rough and then lipped out a 6-foot par putt. Straka, meanwhile, hit to about 30 feet and two-putted for a par that suddenly felt like a birdie. One-shot lead.

Lowry had a 22-footer at the 17th to pull even and missed. At the 514-yard 18th, Lowry drove into trouble and three-putted for bogey. Straka found the sand off the tee but recovered onto the green and two-putted to finish it off.

It is a brutal one for Lowry, who has not won an individual PGA TOUR event since the 2019 Open Championship, per Field Level Media. Straka made a point of crediting the opponent. "Shane's an awesome guy. He's one of my favorites too," Straka said.

Thomas Chases, Then Gets Aggressive

Thomas made the most noise from behind with a 67, but two missed chances defined the day: a 14-foot birdie try at the 12th and a 3-footer for birdie at the 15th. That second miss lingered, and Thomas admitted it changed the approach into the 16th, where a missed green led to a bogey. "I definitely was more aggressive because of (15)," Thomas said, per Field Level Media. Thomas still left with a share of second, coming off a win at the RBC Heritage.

Straka Joins Elite Company

The numbers behind this win tell the story of a player who has quietly become one of the best on TOUR. Straka went 63, 67, 66 and 68, and finished second in the field in strokes gained putting for the week, according to the PGA TOUR. Straka and Rory McIlroy are now the only players with multiple wins this season.

The rewards were big. Straka collected $3.6 million from the $20 million purse, moved up to No. 2 in the FedExCup behind McIlroy, and is set to crack the top 10 of the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time, per the AP and Field Level Media. It was also the second Signature Event title of Straka's career. And Straka did it without the usual caddie, Duane Bock, who was out with a back injury. Friend Drew Mathers carried the bag instead.

Straka was honest about how the week unfolded. "It's not the best ball-striking week I've had," Straka said, per the AP. "Made a lot of mid-range putts, and that's something you have to do when you want to win a golf tournament." Straka also gave Philadelphia its due. "You always hear about Philly sports fans, and it really is true," Straka said.

The Rest of the Board

McIlroy, the defending champion, closed with a bogey-free 68 to tie for seventh at 10 under in a tune-up for next week's PGA Championship at Quail Hollow. "I didn't feel like I played all that well this week, I still finished seventh," McIlroy said, per the AP. Keith Mitchell, who opened the week with a course-record 61, shot 71 on Sunday and also tied for seventh with Cameron Young and Stephan Jaeger. Andrew Novak posted the low round of the day, a 64. Sahith Theegala withdrew before the final round with a neck injury.

The one-year stop in Philadelphia delivered calm, rain, wind and a final-round duel worth the trip. Straka leaves with a trophy, a top-two spot in the FedExCup race and a strong case as one of the TOUR's most reliable closers. Lowry leaves with another close call to process.

Catch up on Round 1, Round 2 and Round 3, plus Straka's win at The American Express. Full results are on the official PGA TOUR leaderboard (opens in a new tab), and the TOUR's final-round recap (opens in a new tab) has more details.

Sources: PGA TOUR (final-round recap, Sepp Straka feature and leaderboard), AP, Field Level Media. More golf coverage on Undrafted.

Photo: PGA TOUR.