Sepp Straka will retain his DP World Tour membership thanks to a rule change following the recent premature birth of his son.
Straka, a two-time European Ryder Cupper, withdrew from this week’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and next week’s DP World Tour Championship after saying his newborn son would soon come home after spending the first two months of his life in intensive care. However, the withdrawals meant Straka fell two tournaments short of the four needed to retain playing rights.
But DP World Tour commissioner Guy Kinnings said he would change the so-called Counting Tournament obligation for Straka. In an editionthe tour said it was doing so “in recognition of his serious personal circumstances since August, which have understandably impacted his ability to travel and compete globally,” and that it wanted to offer its “full support and best wishes to Sepp and his family.”
In August, Straka withdrew from the PGA Tour’s BMW Championship and was the only European Ryder Cupper not to play in the DP World Tour’s BMW PGA Championship. A week before the final event, European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald had revealed that Straka’s son had been born prematurely.
However, Straka returned for the Ryder Cup and said his preparation for the event had been great considering his family’s circumstances.
“We have been fortunate to have a great team taking care of our son,” he said. “We’ve been blessed, very lucky. He came a little early but it was great. Obviously I couldn’t travel to Wentworth the way I wanted or planned sooner.
“But yeah, I mean, my wife was great. The doctors were great. It gave me the opportunity to spend a lot of time preparing here at home and also spend a lot of time with my family. Yeah, it was really great.”
In the release announcing Kinnings’ decision, Straka issued this statement:
“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 first two months in intensive care. We are extremely grateful to the dedicated medical teams who cared for him and helped him grow stronger after his early arrival in August.
“As a result, I will be withdrawing from both the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and the DP World Tour Championship to focus on my family at this important time. I need to be in Alabama to support Paige so we can give Thomas the best start possible as he transitions from the NICU back home.
“Thank you for the thoughtful messages and continued support we have received over the past few months. I would like to send my best wishes to all participants in the upcoming DP World Tour Play-Off events and look forward to being there again soon.”
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