Daily Dive: Former Georgia high school golfers Russell Henley, Sepp Straka competing in golf’s greatest team event

Two former Georgia high school golfers – and UGA alumni -- will compete in the 45th edition of golf’s greatest team event – the Ryder Cup – Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Bethpage State Park on Long Island.

As a former high school golfer from the state of Georgia – which is ….*checks notes*….. -- in the United States of America, one would think the two players would be teammates on Team USA.

However, that is uniquely not the case.

Russell Henley – a Stratford graduate from Macon who played college golf at the University of Georgia – has a simple explanation and pathway to the Ryder Cup. Henley will play for Team USA after having played his way onto the team with a run that included a victory in the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March.

Sepp Straka’s path to the Ryder Cup is a bit more complicated.

Straka was born – alongside his twin Sam -- in Vienna, Austria to an American mother and Austrian father.

"I used to say I'm 50% Austrian and 50% American,” Straka said in a 2022 interview. “A friend of mine who is Austrian corrected me one day and said, you are 100% Austrian, 100% American."

Straka’s family made the move from Austria to Valdosta when the boys were 14 years old.

Talk about culture shock.

The duo enrolled at Lowndes High School and played golf but continued competing internationals. While a junior at Lowndes, Sepp won the Austrian Junior Championship and won on the Southeastern Junior Golf Tour.

Sepp and his brother both played at the University of Georgia where the former excelled. Straka turned professional in 2016. He has won four times on tour, but his two victories in 2025 – The American Express in January and the Truist Championship in May – earned him a place on Team Europe.

The Ryder Cup will grace the grounds of the A.W. Tillinghast masterpiece Bethpage Black – designed in 1936. Tillinghast, known as ‘Terrible Tillie’, designed each of the five courses at Bethpage State Park, but the ‘Black’ is by far the hardest.

There is a warning sign on the opening tee box which states – ‘The Black Course Is An Extremely Difficult Course Which We Recommend Only For Highly Skilled Golfers’

To follow along with the Ryder Cup this weekend, follow the link. Here is the schedule of events to find out when the players will hit the course.

PHOTO -- Henley (left), Straka (right)