The Punter's De-brief: Solid Straka triumphant at the Truist

• Odds-on shots beaten at all three events

• Fantastic Fox seals the deal in extra time

• Classy Couvra off the mark in Turkey

• Scheffler the narrow favourite for this week's US PGA at Quail Hollow

• Read my US PGA Championship preview here 

Straka holds off Lowry and Thomas

With a round to go at the year's sixth Signature Event on the PGA Tour - the Truist Championship - Dave Tindall's each-way fancy, 35/1 shot, Shane Lowry, and pre-event 44.043/1 chance, Sepp Straka, were tied for the lead and three clear of the rest.

Lowry was the first to make a move, recording a brilliant birdie three at the opening hole on Sunday, and he was still in front as the pair stood on the tee at the par three eighth.

Lowry hit a low of 1.68/13 but the event changed on its head as they approached the turn.

A bogey four for Lowry at eight and back-to-back birdies at eight and nine for Straka, saw the Austrian lead by two as they turned for home, but they were tied again when Straka made back-to-back bogeys at 10 and 11.

Right in the heart @SeppStraka extends the lead by two @TruistChamp after back-to-back birdies at the turn.

CBS pic.twitter.com/tqKj5430c9

-- PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 11, 2025

Justin Thomas, who had begun round four trailing by three, was matched at as low as 3.1511/5 but after he'd played his first eight holes in three-under-par, but a run of seven straight pars and a bogey at the par three 16^th saw him fall short.

Straka and Lowry both parred the 12th, 13^th and 14^th holes and they were still tied after they'd both birdied the par five 15^th before Lowry slipped behind when he missed from six feet for par at the par three 16^th.

After a pair of pars at 17, Straka appeared to have opened the door for Lowry when he drove into a fairway bunker at the 18^th, but Lowry hit a worse tee shot than the Austrian, firing towards the hospitality tents, left of the fairway.

Both men hit brilliant approach shots, but Lowry handed Straka the title when he three-putted from 20 feet.

The Austrian then made his par four to win by two over Lowry and Thomas.

It was a bit of a dull finish given how close the pair had been throughout the weekend, and it was a frustrating result for me too given I'd backed Straka in each of his previous three starts!

I'd backed him to win the US Masters at 90.089/1, the RBC Heritage at 44.043/1, and the Zurich Classic, alongside Brice Garnett, at 85.084/1.

Fantastic Fox seals the deal in extra time

Minutes after Straka and Lowry had embraced on 18, the pre-event favourite, Mackenzie Hughes, failed to par the final hole at the Myrtle Beach Classic, and we were into a three-man playoff.

The Canadian had begun the final round in third place, two behind Carson Young and one back of Harry Higgs but he was matched at as low as 1.282/7 as he played the 72^nd hole with a one-shot lead.

A poor drive cost the Canadian on the final hole but after he'd failed to convert for par from 10 feet, he was still the favourite as we headed into extra time.

Hughes caught an almighty break off the tee when his ball ricocheted back onto the fairway from deep in the trees and he was still the man to beat after all three men had played their second shots to the first extra hole.

Pre-event 200.0199/1 chance, Harry Higgs, who was matched at a low of 2.1211/10, gave himself 25 feet for birdie and Hughes hit his approach to 14 feet.

The pre-tournament, 80.079/1 chance, Ryan Fox, hit the worst approach shot, missing the green and leaving himself more than 50 feet from the hole.

The Kiwi was matched at 5.95/1 as the three men approached the green but he was soon long odds-on after this brilliant chip-in birdie to seize the initiative.

Ryan Fox wins his first @PGATOUR title in style pic.twitter.com/pzzewHylN7

-- DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) May 11, 2025

Neither Hughes nor Higgs could match the Kiwi's three and as the last man into the field, Fox is on his way to Quail Hollow to play in this week's US PGA Championship after his first PGA Tour title.

Scheffler still heads the US PGA market

Following their wins, Straka is now an 80.079/1 chance to win the US PGA Championship and Fox is a 300.0299/1 chance.

Thomas, who won the US PGA Championship on the last occasion it was staged at Quail Hollow, has understandably shortened up into 20/121.00 but it's still very tight at the top of the market, with the world number one, Scottie Scheffler, just ahead of Rory McIlroy.

As highlighted in the preview, Scheffler has never played Quail Hollow, whereas Rory has won there four times, but his pedestrian performance at the Truist, where he finished tied for seventh, hasn't moved the needle for the Northern Irishman.

At the time of writing, Scheffler is available to back at 6.25/1 and Rory is a 6.411/2 chance.

Classy Couvra off the mark in Turkey

Brandon Robinson-Thompson led the Turkish Airlines Open by three with a round to go on the DP World Tour but he never got going in round four, eventually slipping to fourth place, after being matched at as low as 2.1211/10.

My 18.017/1 pre-event fancy, Haotong Li, was matched at a low of 1.558/15, when he led by two after nine holes, but having started the day four back and trading at 18/119.00, the halfway leader, Martin Couvra, was putting in a charge ahead of him.

The 22-year-old Frenchman had been trading at 3.412/5 when he led by two at halfway but a one-over par on Moving Day had seen him slip back.

Having been matched at less than 2/13.00 in-running on Saturday, the very well backed 55.054/1 pre-event chance, Couvra, was matched at as high as 38.037/1 in-running early on Sunday morning but after birdies at 11, 12, 13 and 15, he put the event to bed on Sunday afternoon.

My man Li was tied with Couvra after he'd narrowly missed his eagle putt on the par five 12^th and they were three clear of the rest at the time but a bogey at 13 after a poor drive put pay to his chances and the young Frenchman went on to win by two in what was just his 15^th start on the DP World Tour.

Martin Couvra sets the clubhouse target at -17 #TurkishAirlinesOpen pic.twitter.com/AF1Hzx1pqh

-- DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) May 11, 2025

It was a very impressive performance, and he looks like one to keep on the right side of.

*You can follow me on Twitter @SteveThePunter

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