Honda Classic: About eight years have passed since Chris Kirk’s last victory on the PGA Tour. In the Honda Classic, he has put himself in a position to alter that.
Over three rounds at PGA National, Kirk battled his way to a 4-under round of 66 on Saturday, moving him to 13-under for the week and giving him a two-shot lead over Eric Cole (66).
He hadn’t won on the tour since Colonial in 2015, 180 events prior. He competed in the Presidents Cup in 2015, won four times on the tour, and has been waiting to lift a trophy once more ever since.
After hitting his second shot on the par-5 18th adjacent to the grandstand and below a bag that had been left against the building, Kirk made a crazy eagle on the last hole. He received a drop, continued after it with a chip, and made the putt to reclaim a two-shot advantage.
In his second consecutive round of 66, Cole continued to be competitive.
It’s fantastic, remarked Cole. “I’ve never participated in this event. tried numerous times to qualify. Every second of it is enjoyable for me.”
On the par-4 12th, Justin Suh punched out from the fairway for an eagle, moving him into third place and alone at 10 under. On Saturday, he had a 70-stroke round.
Shane Lowry (65), who was in contention to win the Honda Championship until the 72nd hole last year, is currently 9 under par. He and Ben Taylor are tied (69).
Lowry remarked, “Maybe I can give myself a chance heading down the stretch if I can just hang around all day. I believe I fulfilled my obligations for today,”
Sepp Straka, the defending champion, who had rounds of 69 and 68 in the first two, is one of those waiting in the wings. He’s six strokes back and 7-under for the week. At PGA National, Straka had six straight rounds in the 60s.
“It’s a difficult test, but if you’re hitting it well, you can succeed,” according to Straka.
Kirk and Straka both attended the University of Georgia. Kirk was one of the athletes who endured a heavy downpour to greet Straka after his first victory at Honda a year ago.
“We constantly remain a unit. He typically procures a home for us,” explained Straka. “During the past few years, I’ve gotten to know Chris, one of my closest friends, extremely well. He has been playing excellent golf for a while now. I don’t find it strange, especially in light of this course.”
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