Kirk made a big decision pay off – barely – by fending off rookie and local favourite Eric Cole for his first PGA Tour title in nearly eight years.
Despite the trouble guarding so many of the greens at PGA National’s Champion course, Kirk managed to hit 54 of 72 greens to rank T-7 for the week, while posting a strokes gained/approach mark of 7.643 strokes gained on the field to rank second.
There’s an eclectic group at the top of the leaderboard at the Honda Classic entering the final round. Veteran Chris Kirk, a four-time PGA Tour winner whose last victory came in 2015, holds a two-stroke lead over rookie Eric Cole with another first-year tour member, Justin Suh, trailing by three.
In the end, it’s tough to figure out what was more entertaining: watching Akshay Bhatia not once, but twice, strip down to his shirt and nearly get stuck in the mud during the third round of the Honda Classic, or his good-natured reaction afterwards.
Straka, who birdied three of the final five holes in shooting four-under 66 to beat Lowry by one, may have been the beneficiary of the meteorological whims, but nobody can say he didn’t seize the moment.
Earlier in the week, during a practice round, Higgs was walking from one tee to the next when a fan awaiting his arrival went… well, full Harry Higgs, lifting his shirt up and flashing the amiable tour pro hoping for a reaction.
His short game has been his saviour but Adam Scott knows he must overcome recent struggles with his ball-striking to contend at this week’s Honda Classic at PGA National’s Champions course and its infamous ‘Bear Trap’.
Australian Golf Digest
