The solution of the pressure Poisson equation in spherical polar coordinates using a higher order compact (HOC) scheme effectively captures low pressure values in the wake region for viscous flow past a sphere. In the absence of an exact solution, the fourth-order of accuracy of the results is illustrated. Low pressure circular contours occur in the wake region when the Reynolds number Re = 161, which is a lower value than previously identified in the literature, and closed pressure contours appear in two regions when Re = 250.