At a tournament ripe for breakthrough moment, Justin Suh is seizing the opportunity. Defending Korn Ferry Tour Player of the Year led at Honda Classic 2023 with a score of under 10, one stroke ahead of veteran Chris Kirk and two strokes ahead of Ben Taylor and Ryan Gerard when the second round match was halted. on Friday night due to dark.
Suh is no stranger to entering the circle of professional-level winners; he won the title at the Korn Ferry Tour Championship this past September. While the pressure to win one’s card on the PGA Tour is equivalent to actually winning the PGA Tour, it will still be interesting to see how this rookie handles the heat around the PGA National over the weekend like that. any.
In his rearview mirror were several PGA Tour winners, including major champions Zach Johnson and Shane Lowry. Meanwhile, Dylan Fritteli, Byeong Hun An, Chesson Hadley and Adam Svensson took advantage of the calm conditions to return to this tournament after slow opening innings.
Then there is Akshay Bhatia, 21 years old. The former prodigy turned pro just six strokes behind Suh and won the Korn Ferry Tour just over a year ago.
Leader
1. Justin Suh (-10)
The class of 2019 is one of the better classes to hit the PGA Tour in recent memory. With the participation of Collin Morikawa, Viktor Hovland and Matthew Wolff, a “big four” is expected to have Suh’s presence. The USC product helped his colleagues win almost instantly on the PGA Tour, compete and win major championships, and reach the top 10 of the Official World Golf Rankings. Meanwhile, Suh has struggled with injuries and a decline in form but still performs well on the way to a rematch with his peers near the top of the rankings.
“I feel reassured every time because for me, I think — I’ve never really let that affect me,” says Suh. “Obviously they [Morikawa, Hovland, Wolff] It was an instant hit and it’s great to see them play so well. But for me, I knew I needed to improve. I think for me, I just bow my head and work on my game. Everyone’s on a different path and I think — I think all I’m focused on is just improving every day. That’s all I focus on.”
other candidates
2. Chris Kirk (-9)
T3. Ben Taylor, Ryan Gerard (-8)
T5. Brice Garnett, Ben Martin, Eric Cole (-7)
T8. Tyler Duncan, Tano Goya (-6)
T10. Byeong Hun An, Zach Johnson, Matt Wallace, Carson Young, Adam Schenk, Chesson Hadley (-5)
This is an eclectic group you can ask for. Major champions, PGA Tour winners, trail runners, Monday qualifiers — there’s something for everyone. Kirk was at his best in the early part of 2023 when he nearly beat the Sony Open and competed again a week later at The American Express. His 8-under 62 in Round 2 is currently good for the round of the tournament. He possesses the most experience – aside from Johnson – but knows that the group of young talent on the team cannot be underestimated.
“I do my best to introduce myself to as many rookies as I get the chance when they’re out here, but whoever makes it to the PGA Tour are unbelievable players,” Kirk said. “There’s no doubt about it. Anyone who joins the Korn Ferry Tour are unbelievable players. Yes, I certainly don’t doubt any young talent coming out here. There’s a lot of it. really good young man who has succeeded a lot further than me and is playing with a lot of confidence. I think you will continue to see that week in, week out.”
Second qualifying round for the PGA Tour winner?
Casual golf fans may want to be familiar with the name Ryan Gerard. Just nine months after competing at the NCAA Championship, the UNC product knocked the gates of his professional career. Winning the PGA Tour Canada and claiming a pair of finishes in the top five, the 23-year-old was awarded a spot on the final leg of the Korn Ferry Tour Q-School, where he won eight guaranteed starting rate.
Now, after finishing T3 at the Astara Golf Championship and qualifying for the Honda Classic on Monday, he looks set to continue this tough run. Gerard may not have full-time status on the PGA Tour yet, but it certainly will soon — perhaps even this weekend if he wins.
“I don’t want to do anything else,” said Gerard. “This has been my dream since I was a kid, when I just played PGA Tour events. I’m still on that path, not officially done yet, but I really enjoy golf. I love everything about it. I love the competition. I love to challenge myself. I like to play against the best players and see how I rank. I think that in itself is fun for me, but I’ve got some friends coming here today just because I live right and it’s great to see people embrace it and see that I can compete at this level and my game is good enough to translate. I’m excited, pretty confident in the way I’ve played, and want to continue, but I just love being out here. I don’t want to do anything else.”
2023 Honda Classic updated odds and selection
Odds via Caesars Sportsbook
- Justin Suh: 16/5
- Chris Kirk: 33/10
- Ben Taylor: 10-1
- Ben Martin: 16-1
- Shane Lowry: 20-1
- Ryan Gerard: 25-1
- Byeong Hun An: 28-1
- Brice Garnett: 28-1
- Tyler Duncan: 30-1
- Adam Svensson: 30-1
The game appears to be Kirk’s, but with him failing to close in recent years and trouble lurking at the PGA National, it might be wise to collect a few long shots. Defending champion Sepp Straka received interest. The Austrian is listed with a score of 100-1 and is ranked 3rd under 3 while ranking 10th in terms of shots to green. He has yet to hit the ball, but has proven capable from the chase the previous weekend.
