One of the top European players in the game will not be in the fields for the final two events of the 2025 DP World Tour campaign as Sepp Straka has withdrawn from the two-tournament postseason that makes up the Race to Dubai. The world No. 15 has instead chosen to remain at home with his 2-month-old son, who has been in the hospital since his birth in August.
Without playing in these tournaments, Straka falls short of the minimum four-tournament obligation required for DP World Tour membership. Due the serious circumstances, the circuit has made the decision to amend Straka’s required total from four events to two, making him eligible for membership in 2026.
“Paige and I are pleased to share that we are preparing for our son, Thomas, to return home in the coming weeks after spending his initial two months of life in intensive care,” Straka said. “We are immensely grateful to the dedicated medical teams who have cared for him and helped him grow stronger following his early arrival in August.
“Consequently, I will be withdrawing from both the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and the DP World Tour Championship to focus on my family during this important time. I need to be in Alabama to support Paige, ensuring we give Thomas the best start possible as he transitions from NICU to home.”
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Straka was exempt for next week’s Abu Dhbai HSBC Championship thanks to playing on the European Ryder Cup team at Bethpage Black. The Austrian was the lone player from the European team to not play in the DP World Tour’s flagship event — the BMW PGA Championship — two weeks prior to the Ryder Cup, but he was able to tee it up against the United States when his son’s condition improved.
The 32-year-old experienced the best season of his career in 2025. Straka won two times on the PGA Tour, including the Truist Championship at the Philadelphia Cricket Club, which doubles as a signature event and was once again a member of a winning Ryder Cup team at Bethpage Black. He reached as high as No. 7 in the Official World Golf Rankings as well.