After falling in 16-for-1 MQ playoff, first-alternate Chase Seiffert in Honda Classic hunt

Life can come at you fast. 

Last week, Chase Seiffert was the first alternate at the Korn Ferry Tour’s LECOM Suncoast Classic, but never got the call to make it into the event’s field. So instead, he spent the week practicing and that seems to be paying off at the Honda Classic.

After last week, the 30-year-old headed three hours across Florida to the Atlantic coast to try and Monday qualify for the Honda. Seiffert lost out on the tournament’s third and final berth in a 16-for-1 playoff, but his disappointment didn’t last long as Tyler Duncan withdrew shortly thereafter. 

“As soon as we finished the playoff I came here to practice and got the call that I was in,” Seiffert said on Friday. “So it was really a relief, a weight off my shoulders that I didn’t get through the playoff but was able to participate in the event.”

Through two rounds at PGA National, the world No. 385 is doing more than just participating in his 57th Tour start. After a second-round 66, he sits within the top 5 at 5 under. This is the same event in which a year ago he notched his first and – thus far – only top-3 finish on Tour.

Full-field scores from The Honda Classic

“I have just wonderful success at all of [Jack] Nicklaus’s golf courses,” he said, “even back to my amateur career. For some reason, his courses look good to my eye.”

The former two-time All-ACC FSU Seminole claimed conditional status on the PGA Tour for the second straight year by finishing 138th last year in the FedExCup standings, largely thanks to his T-3 at the Honda Classic. This season, through four starts, he’s missed two cuts and best finish is T-22 in Bermuda. 

Another good finish at PGA National would help Seiffert improve his status for next season. And after sneaking into the field, he’s hoping he won’t have to worry about trying to Monday-qualify into this – or any other event – in the future.

“We were kind of preparing as if we were going to get in, because first alternate’s almost always going to get in that early in the week, especially at a place like this,” he said. “So we were preparing as if we were going to get in and fortunate we did, so it was nice to then flip to the excitement instead of the anxiousness and just prepare for the week, get ready to go.”