Well folks. We went with a hunch with our darkhorse on Wednesday this past week, and gosh golly gee but our hunch paid off! On Sunday, Chris Kirk of Knoxville, Tennessee, who entered the 2023 Honda Classic at $29.00, won his fifth career PGA Tournament.
Kirk needed a playoff to beat fellow American Eric Cole of Orlando, Florida, but at the end of the day came through by posting a four-round score of -14. In the playoff, Kirk had a sensational approach shot where his golf ball landed within inches of the hole, and then he delivered with the easy birdie. Cole only posted a score of par on the extra hole.
One other golfer was in contention on the weekend. Tyler Duncan of Columbus, Indiana was only two strokes back at -12.
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Kirk got off to a bit of a slow start during the tournament. In the first round he only posted a score of -1 after two birdies and one bogey. It was in the second round where he really sizzled. Kirk shot an eight-under-par 62 and went from -1 to -9. Kirk’s key shot in the second round was an eagle on the par-five third hole. He then had six birdies and zero bogeys to finish his round. Kirk then shot a -4 in round three, and then a -1 in round four.
Kirk’s prior PGA Tour wins came at the 2011 Viking Classic in Jackson, Mississippi (now called the Sanderson Farms Classic), the 2013 McGladrey Classic in Saint Simons Island, Georgia (now called the RSM Classic which Svensson won last year), the 2014 Deutsche Bank Classic (part of the FedEx Cup playoffs) in Norton, Massachusetts, and the 2015 Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. This was Kirk’s first PGA Tour title in eight years. This win was very special for him due to the fact he has battled alcoholism and depression according to Jack Bantock of CNN.
