PGA Tour star will miss close friend's wedding... all thanks to Tiger Woods

Sepp Straka had a bumper couple of days lined up before playing with Brian Harman at the QBE Shootout next week which included a day of celebration and a day of sport.

Tomorrow, Straka was booked into his friend and fellow PGA Tour winner J.T. Poston's wedding at Sea Island in Georgia, the same area that hosted the RSM Classic.

Then the next day, he was due to watch the Georgia Bulldogs play against the LSU Tigers at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, the fifth time that the teams have drawn each other in the SEC Championship title match.

But the Austrian, who won for the first time on Tour at the Honda Classic in February, received a call from his agent to tell him he had a place in the Hero World Challenge, replacing the tournament host Tiger Woods.

Poston wished his friend well and supported his decision to hop on a plane to Albany Golf Course. Straka teed off in the first round earlier today with Justin Thomas and birdied the first two holes, despite a lack of preparation. 

"Yeah, pretty wild few days. It wasn’t on my radar at all. Just came out of the blue. Pretty excited to get that call," Straka said on Wednesday.

"I definitely feel like I belong, even if I’m getting in last minute. I’m pumped to be here.

"I called J.T. and told him that I was sorry I was going to have to miss his wedding, but when I told him why, he was excited for me, told me to go play hard. I mean, there’s no pressure here. Great field... playing in the Bahamas. Very little downside.

"It really helped having Tiger’s time. I’ll only be playing four holes blind. It’s a thrill to be here, but on the other hand, I’m sorry that Tiger couldn’t play. I get his spot for the week, but I’d also like to have his game for the week."

Straka, 29, was the final entry into the 20-man field full of the world's best players. 17 of the world's top 25 players are in the field, with the only downside being Woods' withdrawal from an exciting week.

On Monday, Straka was announced as part of the Continental European side to face Great Britain and Ireland as part of the Hero Cup which is set to take place in Abu Dhabi in January.

Also on Monday, Woods announced that he'd developed plantar fasciitis in his right foot and took the decision to pull out. He still has The Match on December 10 and the PNC Championship a week later on his mind.