Straka entered the new year with a shaved head, and he finally explained why on Saturday at The American Express, which he leads by four.

Straka’s round at La Quinta in many ways was the reverse of what might have been expected. Playing the back nine first, Straka made six birdies on the way to a 30, the kind of score generally associated with the front nine at the course that opened in 1959.

Sepp Straka shot an 8-under 64 on Saturday while his top competitors failed to match his sizzling pace, staking the Austrian to a four-shot lead at The American Express.

Sepp Straka of Austria has been pretty much flawless so far in The American Express, but he'll have to overcome the toughest of the tournament's three courses to capture the win. Straka shot 8-under-par 64 for the second day in a row to surge to the lead on Saturday at La Quinta Country Club in La Quinta,