Sepp Straka looks to win for a second straight week with a fill-in caddie. / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Sepp Straka comes into the PGA Championship as one of the game's hottest players. And he holds that designation with a wrench in his situation.

The Austrian became the PGA Tour's only multiple-time winner this season aside from Rory McIlroy with his win at the Truist Championship last week. Right before the Truist, Straka's regular caddie, Duane Bock, hurt his back and was sidelined. So Drew Mathers looped for Straka as a last-minute fill-in. And Mathers, an aspiring pro who plays on mini-tours, collected $360,000.

"I've never experienced being a caddie on this level," Mathers told the PGA Tour afterward. "The last few holes the heart rate was spiked for sure, and that last hole the emotions kicked in a little bit after I knew Sepp could two-putt from 3 feet. I was like, 'You got it.' So it was awesome."

Mathers, however, won't be on Straka's bag for the PGA Championship -- and neither will Bock.

"Dewey had an MRI yesterday, my regular caddie," Straka said Wednesday at Quail Hollow. "He's not going to go this week, but hopefully will be ready coming up here in the next few weeks. They told him to rest a little bit. He's feeling a little bit better, so things are looking up there."

Therefore, the PGA will be a family affair.

"My brother is going to be on the bag this week," the world No. 9 said.

Straka has a twin, Sam, with whom he played college golf at the University of Georgia. Sam was actually more heavily recruited during their junior golf days, but it's Sepp who has notched four Tour victories.

Sam was already penciled in to be with Sepp for part of the PGA, so Bock's injury didn't throw Sepp's game plan into a tizzy for the second major of the year.

"It was already planned," Sepp Straka said. "Dewey's daughter is graduating college on Friday, I believe. So my brother was already going to caddie Friday, Saturday. So it wasn't a huge change of plans. We just told him he's going to be going the whole week instead."

Now, the 32-year-old looks to top the biggest win of his career in just seven days. And he knows it won't be easy.

"It's definitely tough (to keep up the momentum)," Straka said. "I've had a lot of off weeks after my wins recently, which definitely helps to decompress, take it all in, get your energy back. But when it's a quick turnaround like this, it's hard. The big thing is getting energy back. You get kind of drained.

"There's a lot of pressure. You're wrestling a lot of things, and then obviously after you win, there's a lot of adrenaline still going. Last night, I had a really good night of sleep. So hopefully, hopefully, we're getting back on that track."

And if he can get over the hump and return to the winner's circle against golf's strongest field, Bock's loss will be someone else's gain -- in this case, Sam's -- for the second consecutive week.