Suh leads, Kirk fires a 62 at Honda Classic
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – There have been about 7,200 rounds played at the Honda Classic since it moved to PGA National 17 years ago.
Only two of those were better than the one turned in Friday by Chris Kirk.
Kirk shot an 8-under 62 in the second round, moving him to 9 under for the week and one shot behind Justin Suh (64) at the tournament’s midway point. Kirk had an eagle and six birdies, hitting 16 greens and taking advantage of no wind blowing in the morning – very rare for PGA National.
“Usually we’re playing for 15-, 20plus yards of hurt going into the wind shots, and 15, 20 yards of help on downwind shots,” Kirk said. “It’s really difficult to get those just right when it’s really windy. But today there was hardly a breath most of the round, and so it became a little bit more target practice.”
Suh had four consecutive birdies on holes 8 through 11, rolling in putts from 5, 15, 25 and 30 feet in that span, to post a 36-hole total of 10-under 130.
“I think we’ve been trending in the right direction,” Suh said. “Every week I’ve been improving and just certain spots, and I think it’s gratifying just to see the progressive work pay off.”
There was no shortage of players taking dead aim. Ryan Gerard (63) and Ben Taylor (65) were tied for third at 8 under. Ben Martin (64), Eric Cole (66) and Brice Garnett (64) were all another shot back.
“Anything around here around that par or below, you can’t be too upset about,” said U.S. Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson, who celebrated his 47th birthday with a 67 to get to 5 under for the week.
Gerard was a Monday qualifier. This is only his second PGA Tour event as a pro, and his first made cut.
“I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else,” Gerard said. “This is my dream ever since I was a little kid, just playing PGA Tour events. I’m still on the road there, not officially made it yet, but I just really enjoy playing golf. I love everything about it. I love the competition. I love challenging myself. I love playing against the best players and seeing how I stack up.”
Shane Lowry shot his second consecutive 68, highlighted by a 57-foot birdie putt on the par-3 17th – his ball staying on-line even after rolling over another player’s coin on its way to the hole.
LIV Golf
LIV Golf League’s second season got underway with the first round at Mayakoba in Mexico.
Smash GC’s Jason Kokrak fired an opening-round bogey-free 6-under 65 to earn himself the 18-hole co-lead. Crushers GC’s Paul Casey, the other player at 6 under, used eight birdies to also get to the top of the leaderboard.
Peter Uihlein, Carlos Ortiz and Talor Gooch all sit a 4 under, two shots back. Five players, including Dustin Johnson, are 3 under and three back. Cameron Smith is 2 under after day one while Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau opened with rounds of 1 over.
Thomas Pieters, the newest member of LIV Golf, shot a 5-over 76.
LPGA Tour
PATTAYA, Thailand – Natthakritta Vongtaveelap finished strongly with six birdies on the back nine to take a one-shot lead over Maja Stark after a 7-under 65 in the second round at the LPGA Thailand.
The 20-year-old Thai had two birdies against a bogey on the front nine holes before six more birdies, including four straight on Nos. 12-15, for 12under 132 overall at Siam Country Club.
“I played according to my game plan even though I didn’t putt the way I would have wanted at the front nine,” said Vongtaveelap, who earned her tour card through Q-School last December.
“But after I started making birdies at the back, I was getting more and more confident.”
She has won all three events she has competed in this season, including two on a local tour.
Stark had an error-free 67.
Nelly Korda (66) had an eagle on the 10th along with five birdies and a bogey to share third on 10 under with Celine Boutier (66), Emily Kristine Pedersen (67), Jaravee Boonchant (69) and Jenny Shin (68).
Korda is hoping to match her sister Jessica Korda’s win here in 2018.
World No. 1 Lydia Ko (68) is tied for 15th.
European Tour
NEW DELHI – Yannik Paul extended his lead to five strokes after two rounds of the Indian Open.
The No. 119-ranked German began the day with a one-shot lead before his 3-under 69 at DLF Golf and Country Club in New Delhi.
Paul made four birdies against one bogey to reach 10 under overall.