PALM BEACH GARDENS – In search of his fifth career PGA Tour title and first since 2015, Chris Kirk birdied final two holes of the day to claim his sixth 54-hole lead/co-lead on Tour. He is two-for-five in converting to a title.

Florida resident and PGA Tour rookie Eric Cole posted a second straight 4-under (66) and sits solo-second at 11-under (199) while 36-hole leader, Justin Suh, seeks to become the fourth player in the last five years to make The Honda Classic a maiden Tour title.

The 2022 Honda Classic runner-up, Shane Lowry, seeks his third career Tour title and first since the 2019 Open Championship. He is playing despite the unexpected death of his Uncle back in Ireland.

The Honda Classic has served as the first career Tour title for three of the last four winners (Keith Mitchell/2019, Sungjae Im/2020, Sepp Straka/2022).

Ryan Gerard sits (T-8) at (-7). He birded No. 18 to post a 1-over (71) in his second PGA Tour start (2022 U.S. Open/MC). The last Open Qualifier to finish in the Top 10 was Aaron Baddeley, 2022 Butterfield Bermuda Championship (T6), while the last Open Qualifier to finish in the Top Five was Doc Redman, 2019 Rocket Mortgage Classic (2nd).

The last Open Qualifier to win was Corey Conners, at the 2019 Valero Texas Open.

Defending champion Sepp Straka sits (T-8) at (-7). He birdied his first four holes en route to a 4-under (66) in his bid to become the first to successfully defend a Honda Classic title since Jack Nicklaus in 1978.

*This final round will most likely be the final round of Honda’s association and sponsorship of the event. Honda has partnered with the PGA Tour for 42 years.

Honda Classic | Third Round Leaderboard

Chris Kirk 69-62-66—197 (-13)

Eric Cole 67-66-66—199 (-11)

Justin Suh 66-64-70—200 (-10)

Shane Lowry 68-68-65—201 (-9)

Ben Taylor 67-65-69—201 (-9)

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Note: Play was suspended due to darkness at 6:27pm (ET) Friday evening with only two players yet to complete their round. Those players will be back in position at 6:50am with the third round consisting of threesomes off one tee from approximately 7:30am – 12:30pm (ET) today.

The Cut: 78 players are currently guaranteed to make the cut, which came at 1-over (141). The two players who did not finish their round, Brett Drewitt and Pierceson Coody, are at 1-over and need a par or better on their final hole to make the cut.

By TERRY LYONS

PALM BEACH GARDENS – Following his best-ever round (64) and best opening 36-hole score (130) on the PGA Tour, Justin Suh holds a one-stroke lead over Chris Kirk at The Honda Classic as moving day begins today with two golfers still to complete their second round.

Suh is the first player with seven straight (3s) on his scorecard since the event moved to PGA National in 2007. Suh played Nos. 5-11 in 5-under. He holds a second-round lead/co-lead for the second time on the PGA Tour. The other was the 2021 Corales Puntacana Championship when he finished (T-28).

As darkness fell on Friday, Kirk equalled his career-low round on the Tour, shooting a blazing (62) while Ryan Gerard trails by two shots in bid to become the first Open Qualifier to win on Tour since 2019.

First round leaders struggled as the PGA National course toughed up Friday. Current positions of the three first-round co-leaders: Carson Young (T-10, second-round 70), Joseph Bramlett (T-28, 73), Billy Horschel (T-28, 73).

Defending champion Sepp Straka (T-22) at (-3) trails by seven strokes in bid to become the first repeat winner of The Honda Classic since Jack Nicklaus in 1977-78.

Partial Second Round Leaderboard

Justin Suh 66-64—130 (-10)

Chris Kirk 69-62—131 (-9)

Ryan Gerard 69-63—132 (-8)

Ben Taylor 67-65—132 (-8)

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The Honda Classic: Review and Notes

THE YEAR of the 40s: Matt Jones won his second PGA Tour title in his 330th start and became the fourth winner in his 40s this season. He also became the sixth player this season to win more than six years after his previous victory.

Jones converted his 54-hole lead/co-lead for first time on Tour, and finished with a five-stroke win which ties the largest margin of victory in tournament history.

Brandon Hagy earned his best career PGA Tour result on his 30th birthday, and in doing so, he moved up 101 spots in the FedExCup standings.

Sam Ryder played the famed “Bear Trap” in 3-under for the week, the best of any player who made the cut.

Chase Seiffert (T-3) at (-6) closed with 6-under (64), matching his career low (64/R4) at the 2018 Travelers Championship). He moved from T-41 to T-3 and carded his fourth score of 65 or better this season.

Brendan Steele (T-3) at (-6) recorded his second consecutive top-10 result at The Honda Classic (T-4) in 2020 and has five Top 15 finishes in last six starts at The Honda Classic.

The Honda Classic – Final Leaderboard

Matt Jones 61-70-69-68—268 (-12)

Brandon Hagy 69-62-76-66—273 (-7)

Five players at (-6)

Full Leaderboard (link)

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J.B. Holmes is making his seventh appearance at The Honda Classic and he started the third round eight-shots off the lead but posted a 3-under (67) on “Moving Day” and is now T-2 with Wise. Holmes is paired with Matt Jones in the final twosome.

Making his second start at The Honda Classic (T-53 in 2020), Winter Park, Florida, native Sam Ryder (T-4) at (-6) is in contention to claim his first career PGA Tour victory in his 90th start.

Following his shoulder injury, The Honda Classic marks the final event remaining for Camilo Villegas (T-13) at (-4) to earn 136 FedExCup points (3-way T-3 or better) and remain in the Major Medical category or 24 FedExCup points (2-way T-32 or better) to play the remainder of the season out of the 126-150 category.

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Wise became the first player with multiple (64s) or better in the same week at The Honda Classic since the event moved to PGA National (Champion) in 2007.

First round leader Matt Jones (T2) at (-9) ranked 133rd in proximity to the hole (44 feet, 2 inches) in the second round after ranking No. 2 (25 feet, 6 inches) in R-1.

Brandon Hagy entered the field as second-to-last alternate on Wednesday when Kramer Hickok withdrew from the tournament. Hagy sits (T-2) (69-62) – (131) with Jones (61-70) – (131).

In 90th start on Tour, Sam Ryder (4th/-8) seeks his first pro victory. His (63) marked his lowest score on Tour since 2018 Shriners Hospitals for Children Open (62)-(R4). He shot four rounds in the 70s to finish T-53 in this event last year, his only prior appearance. Ryder’s best finish among eight career top-10s is T-2/2018 John Deere Classic; T-10/Farmers Insurance Open.

With a pair of (68s), defending The Honda Classic champion Sungjae Im sits T16 in his bid to join Jack Nicklaus (1977-78) as players to successfully defend their title in the event.

The 36-Hole Cut allowed for 68 players at (1-over)-(141) from a field of 144 professionals.

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PALM BEACH GARDENS – After missing The Honda Classic Pro-Am on Wednesday, March 17, but indicating he would play in the tournament, Daniel Berger, the favorite and second-highest ranked player scheduled to compete, WD from The Honda Classic yesterday.

Only six of the top 30 Tour players in the FedExCup standings are in the field this week, led by Joaquin Niemann (No. 12).

The field does include 11 past champions: Vijay Singh (1999), Padraig Harrington (2005, 2015), Luke Donald (2006), Camilo Villegas (2010), Rory Sabbatini (2011), Michael Thompson (2013), Russell Henley (2014), Adam Scott (2016), Rickie Fowler (2017), Keith Mitchell (2019) and Sungjae Im (2020).

Lee Westwood, runner-up the last two weeks, made the biggest jump in the FedExCup during the tour’s “Florida Swing,” beginning at the World Golf Championships-Workday Championship at The Concession (131 spots) to tee-off at The Honda.

Honda Classic defending champion Sungjae Im enters his title defense in the tournament in the top 20 in both the FedExCup and Official World Golf Ranking.

PGA National features “The Bear Trap” at (Nos. 15-17) a stretch of land that ranks as the fourth-toughest three-hole stretch on Tour since 2007 (among courses played in at least 10 seasons, non-majors).

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First Look at The Honda Classic –

The Honda Classic was once one of the biggest draws for top players readying for The Masters. In the current schedule, it falls between The PLAYERS and the World Golf Championship – Dell Technology Match Play tournaments.

Daniel Berger is the highest-ranked player at No. 15. … Berger skipped the Pro-Am but plans to compete Thursday, according to the Palm Beach Post. Brooks Koepka was scheduled to play until injuring his right knee. The only Koepka in the field is his younger brother, Chase, who received a sponsor exemption.

Five former No. 1 players in the world are competing at the Honda Classic, including: Adam Scott, Luke Donald, Lee Westwood, Martin Kaymer and Vijay Singh. … Both Ryder Cup captains, Steve Stricker (USA) and Padraig Harrington (Europe), are playing this event on the PGA Tour’s “Florida Swing.”

Westwood – a disappointing second place finisher at The PLAYERS last weekend, following his efforts at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, is the first player to be the runner-up in consecutive weeks since Webb Simpson at the Wyndham Championship and The Northern Trust in August 2019.

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