The Albany Gazette - Straka shakes off nerves to win US PGA American Express

Straka started the day with a four-shot lead over a trio of players and led by the same margin after his fourth birdie of the day at the par-three 13th -- the toughest hole on the Stadium Course.

But it wouldn't be a smooth march to the finish. Straka's lead dwindled to three strokes after his first bogey of the week at the par-five 16th, where his second shot from the fairway drifted right and his 15-foot putt to save par slipped past the hole.

He would bogey the 18th as well, but his 25-under-par total put him two clear of former world number one Justin Thomas, who carded a six-under-par 66 for 265.

Another former world number one, Australian Jason Day, dropped out of a tie with Thomas with a bogey at 18, finishing with a three-under-par 69 that left him tied for third with American Justin Lower, who also posted a 69.

Despite his big lead to start the day Straka said it was "nerves, complete nerves" coming down the stretch.

"Stomach in a knot the whole nine," said the 31-year-old, although he gave none of that away with his outwardly unruffled demeanor.

Straka launched his round with an 11-foot birdie at the first and added birdies at the fourth and seventh.

Charlie Hoffman, the 36-hole co-leader who started the day tied for second with Lower and Day, made four birdies on the front nine to slice a shot off Straka's lead.

But the 48-year-old saw his chances of a fifth career title -- and his first since 2016 -- disappear for good with a triple-bogey six at the 13th, where he was in the water twice.

Hoffman finished with a one-under-par 71 that left him tied for fifth with Patrick Cantlay, who posted a 70.

"This golf course, you can't really let up," Straka said. "I think that was the biggest challenge today was keeping aggressive on my targets.

"I had a lot of chances for bogeys out there, but the putter saved me a lot of times."

- Thomas rally stalls -

Thomas, who won the most recent of his 15 titles at the 2022 PGA Championship, got off to a strong start in his bid to erase a six-shot deficit.

The American had five birdies on the front nine, rolling in 16-foot birdie putts at the second and ninth.

He added another at the 11th before the birdies dried up in the balmy California desert near Palm Springs.

"I played well, I had a chance," Thomas said. "I did what I needed to do on the front nine today (to) at least be making some noise and moving up the leaderboard.

"It was unfortunate to kind of stall there after 11," he said. "(I) really, really played some great golf today, hit some really good shots, made some great putts and hit some great putts, too, that didn't go in."

(K.Lee--TAG)