Sepp Straka birdied three of the last five holes in the final round Sunday to win his first tour event, tying for the largest comeback victory of the season on the tough PGA National Resort And Spa Course at the Honda Classic in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
Straka, a 28-year-old Austrian residing in Athens, Georgia, took advantage of teeing off the 18th hole just before unexpected heavy rain fell, to reach the green in two shots for a birdie. Straka shot four under on the day and -10 overall, collecting a purse of $1.44 million, and 500 FedEx points.
“I was very fortunate that I got to hit my tee shot without the rain,” said Straka. “I hit a good one, I bombed it. With the rain it would have been a lot tougher.” The result of the drive left “just perfect number for a seven iron, and here comes rain, so my caddy Davenport switched me into six iron.”
The final group, Daniel Berger and Shane Lowry, had nearly 60 more yards for their approach shots on the 18th hole while battling the pouring rain. Berger bogeyed the final hole landing in the lake on his approach attempting to make an eagle on the par-five.
Berger, who was born nearby in Plantation and grew up in Key Biscane, led after the second and third rounds. He lost the 5-stroke lead early on the final round, unable to make putts, shooting four-over par, to finish fourth at –7; taking home $392,000 and 135 FedEx points.
“That’s unfortunate, but I actually felt good today,” said Berger. “I just didn’t hit the quality shots that I needed to hit at the right time. You don’t always get the good breaks. I fought hard all day and so that’s that’s something to be proud of.”
Berger is the son of tennis pro Jay Berger, who was ranked seventh in the world in 1990 on the ATP Tour, and eventual head of men’s tennis for the U.S. Tennis Association (USTA).
Ireland’s Shane Lowry, 2019 British Open major winner, shot three-under on the day to finish second, with a final score of nine-under, collecting a purse of $872,000 and 300 FedEx points. Lowry felt he would have birdied the 18th to at least tie for the lead.
“That’s this game, unfortunately. I played good enough golf to win the tournament,” said Lowry. “The bad weather came in as we were hitting our tee-shots on 18, which was the baddest break that I’ve gotten in a while. It’s a tough one to take. But a lot of positives to take from the whole event.”
The first round leader, Kurt Kitayama of California, hung around at the top of the leaderboard to finish third with a final round 2 under and –8 total, for $552,000 and 190 FedEx points.
Straka was born in Vienna, Austria, to an American mother and Austrian father and became the first Austrian to win on the PGA Tour.
The family moved to Valdosta, Georgia, when Straka was 14 years old. He played golf collegiately at the University of Georgia, alongside twin brother Sam, from 2011 to 2016, skipping the 2013–2014 season.
The win is the third time in the last four years at the Honda Classic that the victor won for the first time on tour, and includes Straka’s college roommate, Keith Mitchell. Straka played well last week at the Genesis Invitational tying for 15th.
Straka bogeyed the first hole but quickly recovered with two consecutive birdies. He then followed with a bogey and a birdie on holes #8 and #9, before a spectacular finish making birdies on two of the “bear trap” holes on #14 and #16, and closing the round with a birdie on last.
