Sunday Swing | Kirk Wins Honda Classic

Welcome back to the Sunday Swing presented by 2nd Swing Golf. This week in the world of golf, the PGA Tour began its Florida swing at the Honda Classic while the LPGA Tour was in Thailand for the Honda LPGA Thailand. 

The Honda Classic - Tournament History 

The Honda Classic was originally founded back in 1972 and it had been played at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, FL since 2007. Throughout the years the event has been won by many big name players including Jack Nicklaus, Johnny Miller, and Rory McIlroy. The course itself is a par 70, and features one of the more difficult closing stretches of holes called “The Bear Trap,” which includes holes 15, 16, and 17. However, almost every hole on the course includes some form of water hazard. Last year, Shane Lowry seemed like he had the tournament in his grasp on the 18th tee but a flash rain storm spoiled his chances and allowed Austrian Sepp Straka to earn his first title. The previous five champions of this event are as followed: 

2023 - Chris Kirk (-14) 
2022 - Sepp Straka (-10) 
2021 - Matt Jones (-12) 
2020 - Sungjae Im (-6)
2019 - Keith Mitchell (-9) 

The Big Swing 

This week the Big Swing goes to Chris Kirk after he won his first PGA Tour title since 2015. Sandwiched between two elevated events on the Tour’s schedule , the field for the Honda Classic this year definitely ranks among the weakest. At events like this, players who don’t rank near the elites have opportunities to make a big splash. A prime example of that this week was Eric Cole -- a 34-year-old rookie who earned his card this year after finishing seventh in the Korn Ferry Tour final standings last season. Cole started out the season slow, missing his first few cuts. Since then, he’s gotten acclimated to the PGA Tour and is on a nice run, making seven of his last eight cuts with a top 15 at Pebble Beach a couple weeks ago. This week, Cole opened with rounds of 66, 67, and 66 which set him up for the best finish of his career. Standing in his way was Kirk, a veteran who has been knocking on the door recently and is hungry to get back in the winner’s circle.

On Sunday, it was Cole who made a big move early as he opened his round three-under after his first five holes. As the afternoon unfolded, it became clear that it was a two-man race between Kirk and Cole. The two of them had separated themselves from the rest of the field and were three shots clear with just a few holes to play. Kirk held a one-shot lead heading into the par-5 18th, but when his second shot found the water, the door had opened for Cole, who was in good position laying greenside in two. Ultimately he was unable to get up and down for birdie (and the win) and the pair headed for a playoff. They teed off the 18th with about 20 minutes until sunset, making time a factor in the finish yet again. Luckily only one hole was needed to decide a winner after Kirk hit his third shot to 16 inches and Cole was unable to make his birdie. This was Kirk’s fifth PGA Tour title, and his first since 2015.

In the World of Women’s Golf 

The LPGA Tour was back in action this week all the way over in Thailand for the Honda LPGA Thailand. The field at Siam Country Club featured some of the game's best, including Nelly Korda, Leona Maguire, Jin Young Ko, Lydia Ko, and Danielle Kang. Despite all of that firepower, the story this week was all about the underdog 25-year old American Lilia Vu. Vu entered the final round six shots off the lead held by Thailand native Natthakritta Vongtaveelap, who held the lead most of the week despite playing in her first ever LPGA Tour event. Vu played freely on Sunday, rattling off birdies left and right. In total she made eight birdies, including 5 straight from holes 8-12. Her hot putter ultimately took her to the top, and she was able to earn her first career LPGA Tour title thanks to her Sunday 64. Vongtaveelap was only able to shoot one-under par on Sunday and ended up finishing runner-up at -21 just one shot behind the resurgent Vu. Rounding out the top 5 included Atthaya Thitikul, Maja Stark, and Celine Boutier.