Sepp Straka says PGA Tour rival ‘snuck into his room’ at the John Deere Classic ‘Champions House’

Sepp Straka and his PGA Tour companions rent a house when they play the John Deere Classic. Since it's produced a winner the two past years, it has been dubbed the Champions House. It has ordinarily been a six-man rotation this year, but Straka revealed that one of his rivals snuck in.

Ahead of the John Deere Classic, Straka said (4:26-4:48) at the pre-tournament press conference:

"Not actually staying there this year, unfortunately. My family's coming into town tomorrow. But until they come into town I've been hanging out over there, hanging out with the guys and playing some cards. And I guess Davis kind of snuck into my room. So maybe it can work well for him. But hopefully, the mood changes a little bit this year. And it's not somebody from that house that wins."

A reporter asked how Davis Riley cracked the rotation, and Straka, the reigning champion of the John Deere Classic, admitted that he wasn't staying in the house full-time this year. He has family in town, so he doesn't need to.

Sepp Straka is aiming to defend his crown this weekend, and he hopes he'll be able to do that rather than someone else who lives in the house stealing his trophy in 2024. He has his work cut out for him since the field is good and he doesn't have the residential boost from the last couple of years.

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PGA Tour stars open up on Sepp Straka's Champions House

J.T. Poston won the John Deere Classic two years ago. He was staying in Sepp Straka's Champions House that year. While he didn't win last year, he still put in a good performance. He loves staying in the house and it seems to be helping him play better.

J.T. Poston stays in the Champions House every year (Getty)

He said via the PGA Tour:

“It’s fun because you come back and you’re playing cards or throwing football in the backyard. It’s a good way to decompress and get away from golf, because the hard part of the hotel thing is you get back to the hotel and, if you’re alone, you’re probably thinking about golf.”

Denny McCarthy is also a yearly resident of the Champions House with Sepp Straka, Poston, and others. He said that golf can be a battle, so it's nice to have a house for them to go back to to talk and hang out:

“Whether you shoot 65 or 75, it doesn’t matter. My mind has been at ease, and this has factored into that for sure.”

The winner typically pays for the rent that the golfers incur. Straka footed the bill last year, and he is happy that a win this year won't cost him financially. He is tied for the best odds with Jordan Spieth and Sungjae Im after Patrick Cantlay withdrew.