Sepp Straka left the Albany Golf Course on Saturday at the Hero World Challenge a happy man.
At the 54-hole mark of the tournament hosted annually by Tiger Woods, Straka held a one-shot lead, besting a field that included World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler. He also held reservations at his couch to watch the biggest football game of the year to that point: the 2025 SEC Championship game between Straka’s Georgia Bulldogs and the Alabama Crimson Tide.
“I mean, any other team that we play against, I think the Dawgs win it,” Straka said Saturday. “But one of the last nine I think we won against Alabama, so I don’t know. It’s going to be a close game, hopefully we pull it out.”
Well, if Saturday afternoon was any indication, Straka will arrive on Sunday morning even happier. That’s because his Georgia Bulldogs pulled off an impressive win in the SEC Championship game shortly after Straka’s round ended, completing a one-loss season and solidifying a top seed in the College Football Playoff.
Now, on Sunday morning, Straka has the chance to complete a dream weekend with a victory at the Hero World Challenge, where he will share a final pairing with Scottie Scheffler.
A $1 million winner’s check for a victory at the Hero wouldn’t be Straka’s biggest paycheck of the 2025 season — his $3.6 million winner’s check at the Truist Championship in May covers those bases — but it’d be a hell of a holiday bonus to end the playing season.
And speaking of cash, the Hero World Challenge will once again hand out a purse of $5 million in 2025; you can find complete payout information, including winner’s share, below.
Hero World Challenge purse, winner’s share
1. $1 million
2. $450,000
3. $300,000
4. $250,000
5. $225,000
6. $220,000
7. $215,000
8. $210,000
9. $205,000
10. $200,000
11. $195,000
12. $190,000
13. $185,000
14. $180,000
15. $175,000
16. $170,000
17. $165,000
18. $160,000
19. $155,000
20. $150,000