Former Georgia golfer Sepp Straka, won the John Deere Classic on July 9 at the TPC Deere Run course. The victory marked his second career tour win in as many years.

The Austria native signed with the Bulldogs in 2010 along with his twin brother, Sam Straka. Through his time donning the Georgia logo, Sepp Straka earned an All-Conference recognition and helped his team win the 2016 SEC Championship— Georgia’s first in six years.

Straka started the final round of the tournament on fire, earning a birdie on the first hole and an eagle on the second. After birdieing four out of the next seven holes, Straka found himself seven under 28 with nine left to play. Not only was he in position to win the tournament, but he was also on the brink of making history.

Prior to this point, a score of 59 or better had only been shot 12 times. With four holes left to play, Straka had a chance to make it 13. Despite being so close to such a monumental achievement, Straka said it did not change his approach on the green.

“I wasn’t going to change my game plan or strategy for the 59,” Straka said. “The goal was still to keep the same game plan and try to finish and win a golf tournament. As fun as the 59 would be, I think winning the golf tournament is always more fun.”

Whether or not he thought about it, Straka was on the verge of accomplishing something that few can say they did. and the path was clear— in order to shoot 59, Straka would need to score 1-under-par on the last four holes.

Straka started the next two holes well, achieving par for both. However, hole 17 is when things started to take a turn for the worse. After missing a nine-footer for a birdie, Straka had one more chance to put his name in the record books.

On hole 18, from 181 yards out, Straka grabbed his club and shot the ball straight into the pond adjacent to the course. Although it all but eliminated his chance for 59, Straka was still in a good position to win the tournament. After all, winning the tournament was vital if he wanted a chance to compete in his first ever Ryder Cup, a tournament that pits European golfers against those from the United States.

With less than two months to go in the qualification process, Straka sat 10th in the rankings and cherished the opportunity to compete for where he was born.

“September [the month where selection occurs], is a few months away, and I’m glad my game is in good shape,” Straka said. “Hopefully I can make a push for that.”

With this in mind, Straka prepared himself to make his final shot on the final hole at TPC Deere Run. His effort resulted in a 6 and a 21-under 263 total on the par-4 hole.

Although it was a solid round for Straka, he could not celebrate just yet. Alex Smalley and fellow Georgia alum Brendon Todd were on his tail with plenty of holes left to play. However, although each put up a good fight, neither was able to unseat Straka, who earned a two-stroke victory.

“At my best, I do feel like I can compete with anybody,” Straka said. “Obviously the last three days I could have competed with just about anybody in the world, but growing up I never would have thought I would have a chance to play on the PGA Tour. This is all just a big dream come true.”