VIRGINIA WATER, England -- Sepp Straka has withdrawn from the two playoff events for the Race to Dubai so he can be home when his 2-month-old son leaves the hospital for the first time since birth.
Straka, who was born and raised in Austria until moving to Georgia as a teenager, was exempt for the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship next week as a Ryder Cup player.
Straka was the only European to not play in the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth leading up to the Ryder Cup. His son was born in early August and has been in neonatal intensive care since then. He improved enough for Straka to compete at Bethpage Black.
"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 in a statement. "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."
He said he was withdrawing from Abu Dhabi and the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai the following week to be with his family.
"I need to be in Alabama to support Paige, ensuring we give Thomas the best start possible as he transitions from NICU to home," he said.
He will not meet the minimum four events on the European tour. Given the circumstances of Straka's son, the tour's chief executive, Guy Kinnings, has amended his requirements from four tournaments to two that allows Straka to remain eligible in 2026.
Straka is a two-time winner on the PGA Tour this year, including a signature event at Philadelphia Cricket Club, and is No. 15 in the world ranking.
