Why Sepp Straka’s biggest win yet could prove life-changing for a player not even in the field

A two-shot victory at the Truist Championship might just have a knock-on effect for the career of Sepp Straka’s caddie…

It was Sepp Straka’s second PGA Tour title of the year, fourth overall, and comfortably his biggest yet.

The Austrian’s Truist Championship victory not only moved him into the world’s top 10 for the first time, as well as all but cement a spot in this year’s Ryder Cup team, but it was also a huge day for his caddie.

No, not regular caddie Duane Bock.

His temporary caddie at Philadelphia Cricket Club, Drew Mathers.

When Bock – known as “Dewey” to friends and colleagues – told his boss he had injured his back and couldn’t work at the Signature Event, Straka turned to Mathers.

“He told me on Sunday night that it was starting to get better, then it kind of locked up Sunday night,” Straka explained. “He just kind of made sure that I had a back-up plan in case it didn’t get better.”

So Straka reached out to Mathers and “he immediately hopped on a flight and was up here ready to go”.

“It’s very fortunate that I was able to do that,” he added.

Mathers, who plays regularly on mini tours across the United States, knows Straka from his home course in Birmingham, Alabama, where the PGA Tour resides.

“I’ve played a lot of golf with him,” Straka explained. “So I was very comfortable being beside him. It was a lot of fun having him on the bag really. Dewey has been here all week supporting us and I’m just really grateful for those two guys. Dewey was also there to hug me on the 18th green. I’m just really, really thankful.”

But while Mathers almost certainly won’t have been paid the usual 10% of Straka’s $3.6 million first prize, it still would have been a handsome payday.

Speaking to the PGA Tour, Mathers confirmed that he is “trying to pursue professional golf down in Birmingham”, adding: “Right now it’s just mini-tour events, and then Korn Ferry Q-School in the fall. It helps a ton. It’s expensive. Everything’s expensive! I’m still in shock, actually.

“I’ve played with Sepp for five years or so and he’s become a good friend. I can learn a lot from him and his game. I got the call on Monday afternoon to come up here and I was like, ‘Absolutely!’ I did not hesitate.

“My whole goal today was to keep him in the same process. That was all I thought about for the last two holes. I was like, ‘If he does what he’s been doing all day, he’s got it.’ Every day, it kind of felt like I was about to hit the first tee [shot]. It got my heart-rate up. And that’s because I’ve never experienced being a caddie on this level. The last few holes, the heart-rate was spiked, for sure. The emotions kicked in once I knew Sepp could two-putt from three feet. It was awesome.“

Ryan French, of Monday Q Info, also noted in a post on X that “the same scenario happened with Lanto Griffin many years back”.

He continued: “He was out of money and Willy Wilcox had him caddie for him. They finished well and the caddie check jump started Griffin’s career. Griffin now has nearly $9 million in career earnings. Let’s see what happens with Mathers career down the line.”

As for who will on the bag for Straka at the PGA Championship, the 32-year-old revealed in his press conference at Quail Hollow that it will be his brother.

With Bock’s daughter graduating this week, that was always going to be the case for the first two rounds, but now his sibling will stay on for the entire week – should they make the cut – with his regular bagman told to rest by doctors following his injury.

• What’s in Sepp Straka’s bag?

Who is Sepp Straka’s caddie?

Sepp Straka’s regular caddie is Duane Bock.

A Campbell University graduate, Bock was a successful college player before embarking on a 12-year professional career.

Bock, who grew up in East Hampton on the end of Long Island, New York, had planned on turning to coaching when his playing days ended – but he also didn’t want to uproot his family from their home in Morganton, North Carolina.

So he decided being a caddie was the next best option.

Speaking to the Campbell website, Bock explained: “I decided to get in my car and drive to Lafayette, Louisiana, where the Nationwide Tour was playing, sit in the parking lot, and find a job.

“My first job on that tour was with Jim Gallagher Jr, just a one-week deal. While I was there, I saw a lot of friends I competed with up in Canada, and one was Ken Duke, and he gave me my first opportunity to work with him.”

Bock spent three seasons on Duke’s bag before he had the chance to work with a young Kevin Kisner at Q School. The relationship ended up lasting 14 years, and the pair enjoyed four PGA Tour wins – including the WGC-Match Play – as well as a runner-up finish at the 2018 Open Championship. They also went to two Presidents Cups together.

“He’s been good to us and took care of me and my family for 14 years,” Bock said of Kisner.

But when Kisner took an extended break from the game in 2023 to spend time with his family, he encouraged Bock to take on another bag in the meantime. It was then that he took a call from Straka – another rising star who already had a PGA Tour title under his belt at the previous year’s Honda Classic.

Within hours, Bock was on a plane to meet Straka at the John Deere Classic. Four days later they were lifting the trophy. A further week after that, they were shaking hands on the 18th green at Royal Liverpool having just finished in a tie for 2nd at The Open. It was some start to the partnership.

Bock then had a dilemma, but when Kisner called the bagman and informed him that Straka planned to make the move permanent, he encouraged his former employee to take it.

With Bock on the bag, Straka has made his Ryder Cup debut in the win over the USA in Rome, represented his homeland in the 2024 Paris Olympics, and won a third PGA Tour title at the 2025 American Express.