Sepp Straka poised for victory, takes four-shot lead into final day

The American Express R3

Sepp Straka, playing at La Quinta, closed with a bogey-free 64 to reach 23-under and take a four-shot lead at The American Express. 193 marks his best career 54-hole position.

“It was very different [from the Stadium Course on Friday],” said Straka. “Honestly, off the tee it’s a little more, I guess, a little tighter. It’s not as much penalty areas out here as there is at Stadium, but you still have to drive it really well. I did that great today. Iron play was not as good today as yesterday, had to make a lot of putts, fortunately the putter was really hot, especially early in the round.

“I think Stadium’s the type of course where no lead’s safe. I think my first win I got at Honda it’s a very similar golf course, and there I think five shots back at the start of the day. So there’s no lead is safe, you just got to keep hitting your spots, and you really got to strike the ball well out there, so that’s really what I’m looking for tomorrow is just a good solid ball-striking round.”

The Austrian is one of two players still bogey-free after three rounds, the other is Taylor Moore (T10). He leads all players this week with 23 birdies.

Straka has won twice in 168 starts on the PGA Tour but this is his first career 54-hole lead/co-lead on Tour.

Overnight co-leader and 2007 champion Charley Hoffman from the USA signed for a bogey-free 69 at the Stadium Course for a share of second place at 19-under.

Fellow American Justin Lower and Australian Jason Day closed with rounds of 68 and 67 respectively to take a share of second place at 19-under.

The Philippines’ Rico Hoey who held a share of the lead overnight had a difficult day at the Stadium Course making just two birdies and four birdies for a 74 and moved down into T17 at 14-under.

*

The American Express, the third event of the 2025  Season and second Full-Field Event, marks the second opportunity for players to earn FedExCup points towards the Aon Swing 5 with entry into each of the next two Signature Events (AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, The Genesis Invitational).

The Aon Next 10 and Aon Swing 5 are eligibility pathways for players, not already qualified, to play their way into Signature Events via the FedExCup standings.

The top five players, not otherwise exempt, who earn the most FedExCup points during the Sony Open in Hawaii, The American Express and Farmers Insurance Open will qualify for the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, while the top five players not otherwise exempt who earn the most FedExCup points during those three events and the WM Phoenix Open, will qualify for The Genesis Invitational.

The Aon Next 10 for the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and The Genesis Invitational was determined through the 2024 FedExCup Fall standings.

Pos.PlayerTo ParR1R2R3Total
1Sepp Straka(LQ)-23656464193
T2Charley Hoffman(SC)-19656369197
T2Jason Day(SC)-19646667197
T2Justin Lower(SC)-19636668197
T5Patrick Cantlay(SC)-18686466198
T5Mark Hubbard(LQ)-18656469198
7Justin Thomas(SC)-17676468199
T8Max Greyserman(SC)-16696665200
T8Daniel Berger(LQ)-16686765200
T10Frankie Capan III(LQ)-15696864201
T10Beau Hossler(LQ)-15667065201
T10J.J. Spaun(SC)-15646671201
T10Taylor Moore(LQ)-15676866201
T10Ben Griffin(LQ)-15666966201
T10Will Zalatoris(SC)-15666669201
T10Billy Horschel(SC)-15666867201
T17Keith Mitchell(SC)-14666868202
T17J.T. Poston(LQ)-14627664202
T17Harry Higgs(LQ)-14656869202
T17Rico Hoey(SC)-14656374202
T17Rickie Fowler(SC)-14696271202
T17Ryan Palmer(SC)-14666769202
T23Doug Ghim(SC)-13686471203
T23Carson Young(NT)-13656870203
T23Camilo Villegas(SC)-13726269203
T23Kevin Roy(NT)-13716666203
T23Harry Hall(LQ)-13666869203
T23Cam Davis(NT)-13696767203
T29Sam Ryder(SC)-12676671204
T29Nick Taylor(NT)-12656673204
T29Mackenzie Hughes(NT)-12706866204
T29Vincent Norrman(NT)-12686670204
T29Jeremy Paul(SC)-12686967204
T29Lanto Griffin(NT)-12716766204
T29Joe Highsmith(NT)-12756465204
T29Ricky Castillo(NT)-12726765204
T29Matt Kuchar(NT)-12716667204
T29Matthew Riedel(LQ)-12686670204
T39Sam Stevens(NT)-11726667205
T39Alex Smalley(NT)-11686968205
T39Quade Cummins(SC)-11666772205
T39Lee Hodges(LQ)-11667069205
T39Jacob Bridgeman(NT)-11706966205
T44Trey Mullinax(NT)-10687167206
T44Brandt Snedeker(SC)-10687068206
T44Victor Perez(LQ)-10696968206
T44Si Woo Kim(SC)-10687068206
T44Kurt Kitayama(SC)-10696770206
T44Michael Kim(LQ)-10677366206
T44Tom Hoge(LQ)-10696968206
T44Brian Campbell(LQ)-10706967206
T44Ryo Hisatsune(LQ)-10677069206
T44Ryan Gerard(LQ)-10677267206
T44Taylor Montgomery(NT)-10726668206
T44Davis Thompson(SC)-10696968206
T44Matteo Manassero(SC)-10686672206
T44Rikuya Hoshino(SC)-10676772206
T58Chez Reavie(NT)-9716769207
T58Eric Cole(SC)-9686970207
T58Patrick Rodgers(NT)-9726768207
T58Vince Whaley(SC)-9706869207
T58Kris Ventura(NT)-9726768207
T58Will Gordon(LQ)-9696969207
T58Mac Meissner(LQ)-9716967207
T58Harris English(NT)-9706869207
T58Alejandro Tosti(LQ)-9657369207
T58Nick Dunlap(SC)-9676971207
T58Sam Burns(SC)-9686673207
T58Ben Kohles(SC)-9706572207
T58Brice Garnett(LQ)-9696969207
T58Chris Kirk(SC)-9647073207
CUTNorman Xiong-8707167208
CUTJoel Dahmen-8647173208
CUTLuke List-8726868208
CUTKevin Yu-8697168208
CUTChandler Phillips-8707365208
CUTMichael Thorbjornsen-8656875208
CUTZach Johnson-7696773209
CUTK.H. Lee-7707465209
CUTJake Knapp-7737165209
CUTFrancesco Molinari-7677072209
CUTIsaiah Salinda-7676874209
CUTTony Finau-7696674209
CUTChris Gotterup-7677567209
CUTTim Widing-7706772209
CUTAndrew Putnam-7736868209
CUTPatton Kizzire-7726770209
CUTTakumi Kanaya-7726770209
CUTHenrik Norlander-6677172210
CUTTom Kim-6736968210
CUTChan Kim-6756669210
CUTSungjae Im-6776568210
CUTNoah Goodwin-6696972210
CUTJesper Svensson-6686775210
CUTNico Echavarria-6696873210
CUTPeter Malnati-6716871210
CUTMatt McCarty-6706971210
CUTJhonattan Vegas-6717267210
CUTBlades Brown-6726474210
CUTJohn Pak-6676776210
CUTAdam Hadwin-6697071210
CUTBen Martin-6667569210
CUTAaron Baddeley-5746869211
CUTGreyson Sigg-5696973211
CUTWyndham Clark-5716971211
CUTZac Blair-5737068211
CUTNick Hardy-4736871212
CUTMatti Schmid-4647375212
CUTEmiliano Grillo-4766670212
CUTAdam Svensson-4717170212
CUTBrian Harman-4687173212
CUTAldrich Potgieter-4717269212
CUTMax McGreevy-4707468212
CUTPaul Peterson-4767066212
CUTDanny Walker-4687371212
CUTChristiaan Bezuidenhout-3746871213
CUTLucas Glover-3737070213
CUTErik van Rooyen-3717270213
CUTJackson Suber-3657771213
CUTMason Andersen-3727368213
CUTDavid Lipsky-3727269213
CUTAnders Albertson-3736971213
CUTDavid Skinns-2677572214
CUTRafael Campos-2687175214
CUTKaito Onishi-2707074214
CUTBraden Thornberry-2716974214
CUTHayden Buckley-2707569214
CUTBronson Burgoon-2717469214
CUTJason Dufner-2707569214
CUTSteven Fisk-2737467214
CUTSami Valimaki-1677177215
CUTKevin Velo-1767069215
CUTWill Chandler-1757268215
CUTPatrick Fishburn-1726974215
CUTThomas Rosenmueller-1776969215
CUTTrevor Cone-1677573215
CUTAntoine RoznerPar677970216
CUTWilliam MouwPar688167216
CUTTaylor DicksonPar717174216
CUTDanny Willett+1717472217
CUTChesson Hadley+1688069217
CUTWesley Bryan+1757171217
CUTKyle Mendoza+1766873217
CUTKevin Streelman+1707275217
CUTKevin Kisner+2717572218
CUTBen Silverman+2727274218
CUTCameron Young+2697475218
CUTBill Haas+2737075218
CUTDavis Riley+4807565220
CUTPhilip Knowles+4787072220
CUTAndrew Novak+5757472221
CUTCristobal Del Solar+13758272229
W/DAdam Schenk-74--74
W/DBrendon Todd-7672-148
Updated: January 19, 2025
The American Express 2025
Date: 16th January - 19th January, 2025
Location: La Quinta CC(LQ)/Pete Dye Stadium Course (SC)/Nicklaus Tournament Course (NT)
Purse: $8,800,000