A level-par final-round 70 wasn't enough to propel Shane Lowry into the thick of the action on the final day of the Honda Classic, but the Offaly man still recorded a tie for fifth position as he continues to round into form.
American Chris Kirk was the eventual winner after seeing off Eric Cole in a play-off at the PGA National Champion course.
Lowry finished on nine-under-par having failed to break 70 for the first time all week. An opening bogey and a stone-cold putter meant the Clara swinger never really got his face in the frame.
The Offaly man had worn a green and white ribbon during the tournament - the club colours of Ferbane - in memory of his uncle Jimmy who died on Thursday.
Kirk closed with a 69 while Cole carded 67, both men ending the tournament on 14-under-par.
Pádraig Harrington bookended his tournament with 72s, but the rounds of 68 and 69 in between suggest the veteran Dubliner is heading into another prosperous season on Tour.
Kirk made a long-awaited and emotional return to the winner's circle by beating Cole in a play-off at Palm Beach Gardens.
After Kirk bogeyed the par-5 18th hole to necessitate the play-off, he and Cole returned to play the hole again. Kirk stuck his third shot at the same hole to 16 inches for what proved to be the winning birdie tap.
Kirk entered the day with a two-stroke lead and shot a one-under 69, while Cole, playing with him in the final group, caught him with a three-under 67. At 14-under, the duo finished two better than third-place Tyler Duncan, who shot a final-round 66.
Kirk, 37, won for the fifth time on the PGA Tour and the first time since taking a break from the tour to treat alcoholism and depression in 2019. His most recent win was at The Colonial in 2015.
"I just have so much to be thankful for," Kirk said on the NBC broadcast. "I'm so grateful for my sobriety. I'm so grateful for my family. I'm so grateful for everyone that supported me throughout the past three or four years especially."
Kirk arrived at his 72nd hole with a one-shot advantage over Cole. He took aim at the green on his second shot, but it bounced off a decorative brick on the edge of the green complex and caromed right, landing in the water.
Kirk had to take a drop, opening the door for Cole to potentially win with a birdie. But after overshooting the green on his second shot, his third shot rolled past the hole and did not stay on the green.
Cole went on to save par, and Kirk missed his par putt, leading to the play-off.
Kirk's drive found the rough, forcing him to lay up on his second shot. Cole's second shot landed in a bunker behind the green, and Kirk's third wowed the crowd as it threatened to spin into the cup.
Additional reporting: Reuters
