Sepp Straka has announced his withdrawal from the DP World Tour Play-Offs for “personal reasons.”
The Austrian had secured a place in the field for the opening event, the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, as a result of being a member of the European Ryder Cup team.
However, he will no longer be taking part in the tournament as he and his wife Paige spend the time caring for his baby son, Thomas, who was born prematurely.
In a statement, Seppa explained: “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.
"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.
“Consequently, I will be withdrawing from both the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and the DP World Tour Championship to focus on my family during this important time.
"I need to be in Alabama to support Paige, ensuring we give Thomas the best start possible as he transitions from NICU to home.”
Straka went on to thank those who have sent messages of support in recent months before adding: “I would like to extend my best wishes to all participants in the upcoming DP World Tour Play-Off events and look forward to being back out there soon.”
Straka’s absence from the Play-Offs means he is unable to fulfil his minimum Counting Tournament obligation on the DP World Tour this season.
However, it has been confirmed that the obligation has been reduced from four events to two “in recognition of his serious personal circumstances since August.”
As a result, Straka, whose most recent DP World Tour appearance was in July's Genesis Scottish Open, will remain eligible for membership for the 2026 season.
Straka’s preparation for the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black was also affected by the health of his son. For example, he was the only member of the team not in the field for the BMW PGA Championship, which preceded the match.
Ahead of the Wentworth tournament, captain Luke Donald explained his absence, saying: “Yeah, everything is OK. I don't think an official announcement has been made, but him and his wife welcomed their baby a few weeks ago prematurely.
"Everything is going extremely well with their baby. He just doesn't want to be so far away. I think that's only fair.”
Straka earned one point from his three sessions at the match as he helped the Europeans win 15-13. It remains his only appearance since placing 30th at the Tour Championship in August.
