JAMES SHARPE: Sepp Straka kept a low profile at the Open but no one finished closer to winner Brian Harman than him... The Austrian has put himself on European captain Luke Donald's radar for the Ryder Cup
In the end, it was not just the raging bull from Spain who charged for Open champion Brian Harman but also a quiet Austrian who sneaked in from the shadows.
No one had talked about Sepp Straka as a challenger this week at Royal Liverpool, not even after he arrived from victory in the John Deere Classic on the PGA Tour.
Everyone preferred to talk about Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood, or the hometown hero Matthew Jordan, yet it was Straka who finished closest to the champion golfer of the year, six back on seven-under par alongside Spaniard Jon Rahm, Tom Kim and Jason Day.
Straka partnered north-west Fleetwood for his final round and the ever-more lubricated cries of ‘Go on, Tommy, lad’ from the packed crowds continued to greet his every shot alongside cheers of ‘Up the Toffees’ for Everton fan Fleetwood.
Hardly anyone paid attention to the bloke lining up putts from under his brolley, hitting fairways and finding greens, and making four more birdies than anyone else over the week with another five in his final round of 69.
That was just the way he wanted it.
‘I like to fly under the radar a little bit, it's kind of my style,’ said Straka, who was born in Austria but moved to Georgia in the US aged 14. ‘It helped me a little bit too. It took the pressure off me. Everyone was worried about Tommy. It was special to share that with him.’
Everyone will notice him now, especially with a Ryder Cup around the corner. He might talk with an American accent but Straka must now surely be a key part of European captain Luke Donald’s dozen for Rome in two months’ time, whether by qualification or wildcard.
He’d become the second Austrian to play at the Ryder Cup after Bernd Wiesberger two years ago.
Donald’s already on the case. He tracked
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