Signature Event Provides Dramatic Finish at Historic Philadelphia Cricket Club

FLOURTOWN, Pa. — The beautiful Wissahickon Course at Philadelphia Cricket Club provided the perfect stage for Sunday drama as the final round of the Truist Championship delivered a compelling duel between European Ryder Cup teammates in front of enthusiastic Philadelphia galleries.

The tournament’s pivotal moment came at the difficult 212-yard, par-3 16th hole. After his playing partner missed the green with his tee shot, Sepp Straka delivered a clutch iron to approximately 30 feet. When his opponent failed to get up and down from the heavy rough, missing a 6-foot par putt, Straka took a one-shot lead that he would not relinquish.

Back-Nine Battle

The tension-filled back nine featured multiple lead changes between the final pairing. Straka had built a two-stroke advantage after the front nine, making eagle at the par-5 fifth and draining lengthy birdie putts at both the 8th and 9th holes to reach 17-under.

However, consecutive bogeys to start the back nine erased his lead. The duel remained tight until the par-5 15th, where both players converted birdies to set up the decisive sequence at the 16th.

“It wasn’t easy. Not many tournaments are,” Straka said afterward. “I’m just really proud of how I hung in there. The putter was working really well for me today, especially on the front nine.”

The victory marks Straka’s second win of the 2025 season, joining Rory McIlroy (three victories) as the only multiple winners on the PGA Tour this year. The Austrian who played college golf at Georgia also won The American Express in January, and now has four career wins.

Thomas Makes Late Charge

Justin Thomas made a valiant Sunday charge, firing a 3-under 67 to finish tied for second. Thomas narrowly missed potential lead-tying birdie putts from 14 feet on the 12th and, most critically, from just 3 feet on the 15th.

The recent RBC Heritage winner continues his resurgent form as he prepares for next week’s PGA Championship at Quail Hollow, where he won his first major title in 2017.

Patrick Cantlay, Jacob Bridgeman and Tommy Fleetwood all posted 65s to finish tied for fourth at 12-under.

McIlroy Looking Ahead to Quail Hollow

McIlroy, the defending champion and four-time winner of this event at its usual Quail Hollow venue, never mounted a serious Sunday challenge. Playing in his first individual tournament since completing the career Grand Slam at the Masters, McIlroy closed with a 2-under 68 to finish in a tie for seventh at 10-under.

The Northern Irishman now heads to Charlotte, North Carolina, for next week’s PGA Championship at Quail Hollow, a venue where he’s enjoyed tremendous success throughout his career.