Horses for Courses: The Honda Classic
6 Min Read
Golf is hard | 'Bear Trap' edition
With the end of February in site and the madness of March upon us, the PGATOUR will set up shop in the Sunshine State for the next four months. The Florida Swing kicks off a month of tournaments that will feature Jack, Arnie, Pete Dye and Innisbrook as the TOUR readies for the first major of the season in April, the Masters.
RELATED: Expert Picks | The First Look
Florida, for most of us, ideally sounds like a vacation or get away from the cold this of year. It's exactly the opposite on TOUR, minus the great weather, as the Champion Course, Bay Hill, TPC Sawgrass and Innisbrook are anything but relaxing and comfortable.
Jack Nicklaus' PGA National Resort and Spa's Champion Course plays host for the 16th consecutive season. "The Bear Trap" will be front and center in Palm Beach Gardens will annually help decide who survives to win. Sponsor Honda checks in for the 40th consecutive season, the longest running partner on TOUR.
Playing 7,125 yards at Par-70, the Champion Course has ranked in the top six annually over the last four seasons as one of the most difficult stops on the circuit. With 15 holes having water in play, ocean breezes and nest-y Bermuda rough, it's not hard to connect the dots. It is hard to get up and down and to avoid squares and others on the card.
Riviera is notorious for difficult fairways to hit and provides 37 acres of target off the tee. This week wind is added and there are just 28 acres of short grass to aim for plus the addition of water everywhere and 67 bunkers. Only TPC Sawgrass ingests more water balls annually.
Rob Bolton suggests the rough will be exactly that this week so controlling the golf ball tee to green is top of my list of priorities. TifEagle Bermuda laid in 2018 should be settled in by now and 7,000 square feet provide ample targets. Rolling putts on windy, grainy Bermuda is a skill and so is navigating breezy conditions with plenty of hazards in play. There's a reason why double digits under par here is applauded and usually accompanied by the trophy and first place check!
The field of 144 is led by defending champion Matt Jones. This year the event moves to a more natural spot on the calendar instead of following THE PLAYERS later in March. For the third consecutive season the prize pool will be $7 million with the winner taking home $1.26 million and 500 FedExCup points.
Let's find some horses for courses!
Horses for Courses
| Recent Winners entered this week (cuts made/events entered) | Top 10 | Top 25 | 2022 BET MGM ODDS Win, Top 10, Top 20 |
| 2021: Matt Jones (6/8) | 2 | 3 | +4000; +400; +190 |
| 2020: Sungjae Im (3/3) | 2 | 2 | +1200; +125; -160 |
| 2019: Keith Mitchell (2/4) | 1 | 1 | +3300; +300; +150 |
| 2017: Rickie Fowler (8/12) | 4 | 6 | +6600; +600; +275 |
| Eye Catchers entered this week (cuts made/events entered) | Top 10 | Top 25 | 2022 BET MGM ODDS Win, Top 10, Top 20 |
| Brendan Steele (9/10) | 2 | 5 | +10000; +850; +375 |
| Zach Johnson (6/8) | 1 | 1 | +8000; +750; +333 |
| Camilo Villegas (8/14) | 3 | 6 | +15000; +1100; +450 |
| Daniel Berger (4/6) | 2 | 2 | +1600; +150; -135 |
| Lee Westwood (7/8) | 4 | 5 | +6600; +550; +300 |
| Gary Woodland (8/8) | 3 | 3 | +5000; +550; +275 |
| Brooks Koepka (4/6) | 1 | 1 | +2200; +200; +100 |
| Ryan Palmer (9/12) | 2 | 4 | +5000; +500; +250 |
| Lucas Glover (7/12) | 2 | 5 | +6600; +600; +275 |
| Jhonattan Vegas (8/9) | 1 | 3 | +5000; +400; +180 |
| Bily Horschel (5/9) | 2 | 3 | +2000; +200; +100 |
| Michael Thompson (8/10) | 1 | 4 | +8000; +700; +300 |
| Gaining Traction entered this week (cuts made/events entered) | Top 10 | Top 25 | 2022 BET MGM ODDS Win, Top 10, Top 20 |
| Brandon Hagy (3/4) | 1 | 3 | +20000; +1400; +550 |
| CT Pan (3/5) | 1 | 2 | +6600; +500; +225 |
| Denny McCarthy (1/4) | 1 | 1 | +5000; +500; +240 |
| Chase Seiffert (1/2) | 1 | 1 | +30000 win only posted |
| Sam Ryder (2/2) | 1 | 1 | +10000; +900; +400 |
| Mackenzie Hughes (4/5) | 1 | 1 | +5000; +450; +220 |
| Tommy Fleetwood (2/2) | 2 | 2 | +2200; +220; +110 |
| KH Lee (2/3) | 1 | 1 | +6600; +500; +225 |
| Alex Noren (2/4) | 1 | 1 | +3300; +333; +150 |
| Kelly Kraft (1/4) | 1 | 1 | +40000; +2800; +1200 |
| Wesley Bryan (1/3) | 1 | 1 | +30000; +2500; +1000 |
Odds sourced on Tuesday, February 22 at 1 p.m. ET. For live odds visit betmgm.
Recent Event Winner Stats
| Stats | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
| Winner | Matt Jones | Sungjae Im | Keith Mitchell |
| Score | -12 | -6 | -9 |
| MOV | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| Cut | 1-over 141 | 3-over 143 | 2-over 142 |
| Age | 40 | 21 | 27 |
| Pretournament Odds | +4000 | +1200 | +3300 |
| All Drives | T24 | 26 | 5 |
| Accuracy | T15 | T10 | T54 |
| GIR | T5 | T2 | T22 |
| Ball-Striking | 2 | 7 | T22 |
| Proximity | 57 | 14 | T51 |
| Putting: Birdie or Better % | 6 | 4 | T18 |
| SG: Off-the-Tee | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| SG: Approach-the-Green | 7 | 5 | 7 |
| SG: Around-the-Green | 2 | 5 | 6 |
| SG: Putting | 25 | T38 | 38 |
| SG: Tee-to-Green | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Scrambling | 17 | T5 | T2 |
| Bogey Avoidance | T11 (10) | T24 (13) | T2 (7) |
| Par-3 Scoring | T4 | T6 | 1 |
| Par-4 Scoring | 1 | T8 | T26 |
| Par-5 Scoring | T10 | T4 | T8 |
Extra Credit (players entered this week only)
2021
Winner Matt Jones opened with a course record tying 61 and won by a record five shots in his eighth visit. ... Brandon Hagy (2nd) posted 62 in Round 2 and 66 in Round 4 for his best finish in four tries. ... Denny McCarthy (T3) cracked the code for three rounds in the 60s, his first rounds in the 60s here in four events. ... CT Pan (T3) T5 GIR. ... Brendan Steele (T3) backed up T4 in 2020 as he posted a pair of 65s. ... Adam Hadwin (T8) was T8 Fairways and T8 Putting. #TeaAte. ... Defending Champion Sungjae Im (T8) was one of four players to post all four rounds 70 or better. ... Zach Johnson (T8) posted his first top 10 in start No. 8. ... Sam Ryder (T8) opened 69-63 for his first top 10 in his second start. ... Camilo Villegas (T8) holds the tournament scoring record at the Champion Course with 267 in 2010. ... Aaron Wise (T13) opened 64-64 and played in the final group with Jones on Sunday before posting 73. ... Harry Higgs (T19) led the field in SG: Approach, Par-3 and Par-5 scoring. ... Last week's winner Joaquin Niemann (T25) led the field in Strokes-Gained: Tee to Green.
2020
Winner Sungjae Im became the fourth consecutive 20-something to win, the youngest winner (21) in history and the second consecutive first time TOUR winner at the event. ... Mackenzie Hughes (2nd) made the cut on the number and closed 66-66. ... Tommy Fleetwood (3rd) needed a birdie at the last to force a playoff but instead rinsed his approach to the Par-5 18th. ... 2015 playoff runner up Daniel Berger (T4) was one of only three players to place all four rounds at 70 or better. ... Brendan Steele (T4) lead alone after 36 holes and played in the final group on Sunday one behind Fleetwood. ... Lee Westwood (T4) made his first visit since 2015. ... Gary Woodland (T8) has never MC in eight tries and posted a pair of 67s. ... Defending champ Keith Mitchell (MC) didn't see the weekend. ... Only the top 16 players were under par.
2019
Winner Keith Mitchell holed a birdie putt on the final green to avoid a playoff and win for the first time on TOUR. ... Local Rickie Fowler (T2) turned in rounds of 66, 66 and 67 but 72 in Round 2 was the difference. ... Local Brooks Koepka (T2) only squared four bogeys for the week but it was the THREE doubles that did him in. ... Lucas Glover (T4) has cashed T21 or better in four of his last five here thru 2021. ... Ryan Palmer (T4) steamed home 69-63 for the best closing 36 holes. ... KH Lee (T7) sat one off the 54 hole lead on debut. ... Jhonattan Vegas (T16) opened with 64 to lead by two. ... Sungjae Im (T51) posted 64 in Round 2 and shared the 36 hole lead with Mitchell before 77-71 weekend. ... The top 29 players were under par.
Notes
• This is the 16th consecutive tournament at the Champion Course.
• No repeat winners or players will multiple wins on THIS COURSE.
• No first-time event winners since 2007.
• Padraig Harrington won in 2015 as a sponsor's exemption.
• Matt Jones set the record of largest lead after Round 1 with 61 last year (3 shots).
• Jones was the first 54 hole leader to win here since 2017.
• The 2018 edition was the last time this event followed Riviera.
• Brian Harman also has posted 61 here (2012).
• Of the 15 winners nine have been internationals including the last two.
• Only four winners have posted 10-under or better.
• The winning score has been 5-under or 6-under as many times as 10-under or better.
• Of the last eight, six have been decided by one shot or a playoff. The other two were record setting margins of victory.
• Only 51 players over the last five editions here have made LESS THAN 10 bogeys in the event!
• The two Par-5 holes annually play the easiest on the course.
• Jason Dufner has never MC in 13 tries in the event.
• Stewart Cink has rattled off 11 straight.
• Vegas has cashed five on the bounce.
Recent Course Rankings (since 2018):
2021: 6th most difficult; 71.102
2020: 3rd most difficult; 71.904
2019: 5th most difficult; 71.016
2018: 2nd most difficult; 72.203 - first year with new greens
Key stat leaders
Top golfers in each statistic on the 2020-2021 PGA TOUR are listed only if they are scheduled to compete this week
Winners have:
• Last four have led the field SG: Tee to Green.
• Four of the last five T9 or better in Scrambling.
• Only one of the last five have registered INSIDE the top 25 in SG: Putting.
• Last five all T7 or better Par-3 Scoring.
| Strokes Gained: Tee to Green | |
| Rank | Player |
| 11 | Brooks Koepka |
| 14 | Daniel Berger |
| 19 | Shane Lowry |
| 21 | Doug Ghim |
| 25 | Aaron Wise |
| 27 | Louis Oosthuizen |
| 31 | Jhonattan Vegas |
| 35 | Kyle Stanley |
| 38 | Chris Kirk |
| 39 | Sungjae Im |
| 40 | Kevin Streelman |
| Scrambling | |
| Rank | Player |
| 3 | Charles Howell III |
| 7 | Hank Lebioda |
| 9 | Ian Poulter |
| 11 | Chris Kirk |
| 13 | Louis Oosthuizen |
| 14 | Brian Harman |
| 17 | Daniel Berger |
| 21 | Patrick Reed |
| 23 | Doug Ghim |
| 25 | Brice Garnett |
| 26 | Bill Haas |
| 27 | Vaughn Taylor |
| 31 | Doc Redman |
| 32 | Ryan Palmer |
| 35 | Robert Streb |
| 40 | Russell Knox |
| Par-3 Scoring Average | |
| Rank | Player |
| 1 | Stewart Cink |
| 4 | Daniel Berger |
| 4 | Mark Hubbard |
| 6 | Zach Johnson |
| 6 | Joaquin Niemann |
| 14 | Alex Noren |
| 22 | Bronson Burgoon |
| 22 | Doug Ghim |
| 22 | Sungjae Im |
| 22 | Chris Kirk |
| 22 | Kyle Stanley |
| 33 | Brice Garnet |
| 33 | Brian Harman |
| 33 | Satoshi Kodaira |
| 33 | Nate Lashley |
| 33 | Kevin Streelman |
| 33 | Aaron Wise |