The Punter's De-Brief: Berger wilts as sensational Straka strikes

Daniel Berger stood on the 18th tee on Saturday with a six-stroke lead at the Honda Classic and was matched at a low of just 1.171/6 before a scruffy bogey six saw his advantage cut to five strokes at the end of round three.

The 28-year-old Ryder Cup star traded at around 1.282/7 before the final round yesterday and that didn't look too short, but it wasn't long before his lead was reduced further.

A birdie at the opening hole by his playing partner, Shane Lowry, saw the lead down to four before a double-bogey seven at the third by Berger really put the cat amongst the pigeons.

Berger, who had drifted from an opening price of 18.017/1 to as big as 27.026/1 before the off, had looked unopposable and unflappable going into Sunday's final round. But he failed to recover from his mishap at the easy third, dropping back-to-back strokes at five and six as Lowry assumed command.

Lowry, a pre-event 40.039/1 shot, who was bidding to become the 13th Open champion to win the Honda, did very little wrong and having been matched at a high of 130.0129/1 after a slow start on Thursday (shot level par in round one), the Irishman was matched at a low of 1.444/9 during the final round.

Lowry's 67 on Saturday was the best round of the day, and with Berger flapping, he could have been forgiven for thinking that a third three-under-par 67 in-a-row on Sunday would be enough for him to lift the trophy. But it wasn't to be.

Austria's Sepp Straka, a pre-tournament 200.0199/1 chance, was matched at a high of 920.0919/1 when he started the event even slower than Shane, opening with a one-over-par 71, and despite beginning the fourth and final round in a tie for second, his cause looked lost when he hit an awful putt to miss for par from two feet five inches on the opening hole. For once, however, the old adage that many a great round starts with a bogey came true.

There are plenty of nonsense sayings and that's definitely one of them as there are far more bad rounds than great ones that start with a bogey but Straka's can certainly be considered great.

The 28-year-old bounced back with birdies at two and three and while Find Me a 100 Winner pick, Adam Svensson, went past him early on (matched at a low of 6.05/1), Kit Kitayama threatened throughout (matched at a low of 9.89/1), and Lowry did nothing wrong, it was the Austrian who finished the event best with birdies at three of the last five holes. Starting at the 14th following this stunning approach.

Surging @SeppStraka.

He's within 1 after a beauty into the 14th. pic.twitter.com/47Hntyar4T

? PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) February 27, 2022

Playing in the final group alongside Berger, who needed an eagle at the last to tie Straka, after the Austrian's sensational finish, Lowry needed a birdie to tie but the heavens had opened up as he played the 17th and once he'd missed the fairway off the tee he was always up against it. Forced to lay up, Lowry's third shot was simply not good enough and he missed the 44 footer for birdie.

The commentators on Sky felt the rain was the reason why Lowry was beaten but in fairness to the winner, he found the green in two before making a two-putt birdie four to post -10 when the conditions were just as atrocious.

Straka is the first Austrian to win on the PGA Tour and as suspected before the off, with the rough slightly longer than in previous years, his straight hitting proved the difference in the end. Straka ranked first for Driving Accuracy and for Greens In Regulation.

It's always easy to say in hindsight but he'd telegraphed that a strong week was on the cards with a very useful 15th place finish at the Genesis Invitational the week before where he'd started really slowly with a four-over-par 74 on Thursday.

After just two PGA Tour events in a fortnight, we're set for a busy week this week.

The DP World Tour returns with the Kenya Open and we've got two to enjoy on the PGA Tour - the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Puerto Rico Open.

I'll be back later today and early tomorrow with my three previews.

*You can follow me on Twitter @SteveThePunter