Parker Coody Monday qualifies for Honda Classic, joining twin brother in field

Pierceson Coody was already in this week’s Honda Classic field via a sponsor exemption.

Now, his twin brother, Parker, will join him.

Parker Coody birdied the first playoff hole to earn one of four Monday qualifying spots into the PGA Tour event at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. He shot 6-under 66, birdieing five of his first six holes, at Tesoro Club before returning Tuesday morning for the playoff against Ryan Gerard, Ian Holt, Brett Drewitt and Jake McCrory.

At the first extra hole, the par-4 first, Parker hit the flagstick with his approach to set up an easy birdie and advance along with Drewitt, who also birdied. Auburn alum Trace Crowe won the qualifier with a 65 and will join his former Tigers teammate, sponsor exemption Andrew Kozan, in the Honda field.

This will mark Parker’s second career Tour appearance, following a missed cut in his debut at the 2020 Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. Parker, who notched his first pro victory on PGA Tour Canada last summer after he and Pierceson helped lead Texas to the NCAA team title, is currently ranked No. 788 in the Official World Golf Ranking and has conditional status on the Korn Ferry Tour, where he’s missed two cuts in as many starts this year. He won the TaylorMade Pebble Beach Invitational in November.

Pierceson is No. 241 in the world and is just a couple weeks removed from winning for the second time on the KFT. He won a playoff in Panama in just his third start back from left-hand surgery; he fractured his hamate bone during the KFT Finals and withdrew from the KFT Championship last September.

In that playoff, Pierceson nearly holed an approach for eagle on the first playoff hole before winning with a tap-in birdie. Must be a twin thing.

On the heels of back-to-back designated events on Tour, the Honda Classic field features just eight of the top-50 players in the world rankings.

But what it does have now is twins.