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Shane Lowry was beaten by Sepp Straka by a one-stroke margin in last year's Honda Classic, which was hindered by rain on the final day. Straka got to hit the tee shot on the 18th hole before the rain came down and Lowry hit it after the rain. The difference in the distance was 90 yards. Lowry, who was in the shared lead at the time, was shattered by this.
A year later, Lowry gave full credit to Sepp for his win, stating that he fully deserved the Honda Classic title last year.
“You have a two-shot lead with five to play around this course and you play them at level par, you generally get the job done. Sepp played the last five holes in 3-under, which was pretty good around here. He went and won the tournament," Lowry said.
If it were not for the rain in 2022, there might have been chances of a possible playoff with Lowry and Straka tied after 18 holes.
“Yes, if it didn’t rain, the probability was I might have made birdie and got into a playoff, but it wasn’t a God-given right to win,” Lowry said.
In Straka's own admission, he was lucky enough to hit the ball 330 yards long before the downpour started. He said it was crazy and they never expected it to rain.
“The whole week has just been perfect, and standing on the tee on 18, I look back and there’s just this huge dark cloud right there sitting over us. I was like, oh, boy, we’ve got to get going to get this done," recalled Straka.
"Obviously, it’s a par-5, so it’s a little slower, you’re waiting," Straka added. "Thankfully got to hit the tee shot without the rain. But then walking up to the second shot, it just started flooding. It was crazy.”
Honda Classic 2023 details
The PGA Tour now moves to Florida for the Honda Classic, which will start on Thursday, February 23. The tournament will feature the likes of defending champion Sepp Straka, Zach Johnson, Luke Donald, Bill Lowry, Billy Horschel, and Sungjae Im. Pierceson Coody, a former top-ranked Amateur golfer, will also compete in his first start as a professional since the Korn Ferry Tour last June. His twin brother, Parker, also qualified for this week's event on Monday.
Straka will have a chance to become the first repeat winner since Jack Nicklaus in 1977-78. Last year, he emerged victorious on the rain-affected final day. He shot a score of 66 on the PGA National's Championship course to beat Shane Lowry, becoming the first Austrian champion in PGA Tour history.
The purse of the Honda Classic is $8.5 million, which includes $1.512 million as a winner's share. The winner will receive 500 FedEx Cup points as well.
The tournament will be telecast live on the Golf Channel on Thursday and Friday from 2-6 pm ET. The Golf Channel will begin coverage at 1-3 pm on Saturday and Sunday, with NBC taking over with late afternoon coverage at 3-6 pm EST.
