The volatile nature of PGA National

What a difference a day makes at PGA National. Sometimes you don’t even have to wait a day; three or four minutes will do the trick.

That appeared to be the case at Sunday’s Honda Classic at PGA National. Where a sudden downpour swept across the closing holes at the precise moment of benefit to Sepp Straka, and to the major disadvantage of Shane Lowry.

Perhaps not coincidentally, moments later a rain-soaked Straka walked away with his first PGA Tour Championship.

Here’s the thing; the downpour may have benefitted Straka, but the curiosities regarding the way PGA National played this weekend ran far deeper than 15 minutes on one hole.

Far deeper. More on that in a bit.

First, it’s necessary to deal with the vagaries of weather. Straka and Lowry were tied for the lead, Straka on the 18th tee, Lowry on the 17th green, when the downpour swept across 17 and moved toward 18.

Lowry had to content himself with a par on 17, the toughest hole on the course under even favorable conditions. But just as the skies were about to open yards away at the 18th tee, Straka stepped up and annihilated his drive 335 yards to the dead center of the fairway on the 556-yard par-five. It was the day’s longest drive on that hole and came just in time for the imminent shower to not affect it.

It also left Straka with only a 192 yard carry over the treacherous pond and rocks that protected the 18th green. That kind of carry in the torrent that ensued is no gimme, but it’s manageable for Tour pros, and Straka managed it. His approach landed softly 48 feet away from the flag, but on the green, leading to a gimme birdie.

Back on the tee, meanwhile, Lowry was forced to wait while Straka’s playing partner, Kurt Kitayama, first stalled in the hope that the shower would let up, then finally played, then Straka played, then Lowry’s playing partner, Daniel Berger, drove.

By the time a thoroughly sodden Lowry got to the tee box, plenty of time had passed to defeat the best efforts of Lowry and his caddie to keep himself, his driver, and his ball. Seemingly discombobulated, he swung as if he was on the clock, quick-tempoed a pull into the rough left of the fairway, and had no open avenue to the green.

It was all Lowry could do to keep his losing margin at a single stroke.