Pebble Beach leader is fighting the flu – and beating Rory Mcilroy

For recent weeks, diseases have hit PGA Tour, forcing many players to withdraw from the events. Tour Pro sepp Straka is feeling the flu this week at 2025 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-AM.

But 31-year-old Austrian pro Not withdrawing from this signature event studied with stars. He is leading it.

“Yes, he fought some flu symptoms there most of the week,” Straka explained after his third round 70 Saturday. “Yes, honestly, the pro-am format could have helped me the first two days, it was a kind of slow round, so I could take my time and save a little energy.”

It is probably not surprising that the flu -hit Straka chose to play this week, given the $ 20 million tour bag. What is surprising is that he is beating a lot of the best players in the world in the process.

Nr. 3 Rory Mcilroy, making its first start of the 2025 PGA Tour, has fallen all week. When Straka entered the round train of Saturday, Mcilroy even accused the lead.

But Straka’s collapse did not continue. Instead, he made Birdie in four of his last five holes to re-take the lead on 16 Sunday.

And it was as he fought the wet and windy conditions that tested everyone on Saturday.

“Yes, definitely feeling a little tired, but honestly with these conditions, even if I were 100 percent, I would feel a little tired,” Straka admitted on Saturday evening.

“Menta very pure mental,” he continued, taking on the difficult conditions. “You can’t stay dry. Ball is not going where you want to go. Setting is hard. Really really hard to stay at the moment, stay in the present. Yes, I was very happy about how I did this today. “

As for his illness, Straka discovered that instead of damaging it this week, it could help him. He suggested that it could be improving his focus.

“Yes, you just have to put feelings on the side and try to execute your golf shooting. Honestly, in some ways that can even help,” Straka explained. “Just have a kind of mentally targeted to focus on your golf shots and your target and yes, it may have helped me a little.”

And while Straka may not be a family name, its performance is understandable given the latest results. He has won three times in PGA Tour since 2022. And he has already captured a win in 2025, in the American Express, before Mcilroy had played a round tour.

But even on his late charges on Saturday, giving him the 54-year lead, Straka’s road to victory on Sunday is not simple. Mcilroy shot a 65 SaturdayFive shots better than Straka, as the former open champion Shane Lowry did.

The two main champions will start the day only one shot from the superiority. Justin Rose and Tom kim are another shot after.

And, of course, the world no. 1 Scottie Schefflerwho is also making his first start of the season in Pebble. Scheffler is quietly falling to 10 under, just five strokes behind the leader.

If Straka is able to maintain and win despite its “flu-like symptoms”, it would be Michael Jordan-Esque. His possible reward: $ 3.6 million.

“>>