Following a month-long stay out west the PGA Tour heads to the other coast kicking off the four-tournament swing through the Sunshine State with this week’s Honda Classic. If we learned a lesson over the last several tournaments it’s to not bet against Jon Rahm, who prevailed at the Genesis. We don’t have to worry about that with Rahm and many other notables taking a week off. Don’t worry, though, there are enough big names set to take a twirl around the Champion Course at PGA National Resort and Spa to keep the betting public interested. If you like the underdog this is the event. Going off at 100/1, Sepp Straka overcame a five-shot deficit last year to win his first PGA Tour title. Keith Mitchell (2019) and Matt Jones (2021) were also well down the odds board when they claimed victory. Visit BookMaker.eu for a complete list of betting odds when you’re ready to place a wager.
Odds to Win The Honda Classic
Sungjae Im +800
Shane Lowry +1400
Min Woo Lee +2200
Aaron Wise +2500
Alex Noren +2500
Chris Kirk +2500
Denny McCarthy +2500
Matt Kuchar +2500
Billy Horschel +2800
Adam Svensson +3000
Harris English +3300
J T Poston +3300
Jhonattan Vegas +3300
Taylor Pendrith +3300
Thomas Detry +3300
Cameron Davis +4000
Sepp Straka +4000
Adrian Meronk +4500
Christiaan Bezuidenhout +4500
Lee Hodges +4500
Garrick Higgo +5000
Robby Shelton +5500
Stephan Jaeger +5500
Aaron Rai +6000
Byeong-Hun An +6000
Danny Willett +6000
Hayden Buckley +6000
Joseph Bramlett +6000
Justin Suh +6000
Nick Hardy +6000
Ben Griffin +6500
Ryan Palmer +6500
Padraig Harrington +7000
Will Gordon +7000
Davis Riley +7500
Erik van Rooyen +7500
Odds Analysis
Harris English +3300
This appears to be a good situation for English returning to the south and Bermuda grass after ending a three-tournament cut streak. Last week English put together two scintillating rounds to finish T12 at Riviera. His opening 66 and closing 65 were enough to get him his best finish since opening the season with a T9 in Napa. He’s had enough time to work through the hip surgery that cost him several months last season and he’s admittedly comfortable with the grass and conditions. That’s good enough for me.
Garrick Higgo +5000
Not as big of a long shot as some past winners but priced high just the same, this is the type of tournament and field that should benefit Higgo in his quest for a second PGA title. Higgo won the Palmetto Championship in 2021 in just his second Tour start, and while other wins have yet to follow, Higgo consistently finds himself in the mix in similar events. He was third at the Sanderson Farms and T11 at the AMX.
Billy Horschel +2800
I was looking for players with longer odds but kept coming back to near the top of the odds board. I didn’t go all the way to the top finding some value in players like Horschel. Much like other Floridians, the former University of Florida standout has to be looking forward to this part of the schedule. He didn’t do much on the West Coast swing but he’s had strong showings in this event with four top-20s in his last six starts.
Shane Lowry +1400
Getting some eyes on his game last week allowed Lowry to reverse a troubling trend. Consecutive MCs had the Irishman reeling until his coach joined him last week. Pointing out minor flaws in his swing, Lowry was able to adjust and closed with a 68 to place among the top-15. “I’m hitting some nice iron shots again,” Lowry said. And that will come in handy this week as Lowry looks to better his runner-up showing from 12 months ago.
Aaron Wise +2500
Underlying numbers suggest Wise is a good pick, though he would’ve been much better for me at a higher price. He is coming off a pair of MCs and he also failed to play the weekend here last year, so recent form and history are against him. But he has shown flashes of great play finished among the top-15 in three of his previous four starts and nabbing a T13 at this joint two years ago. And those sound metrics in tough situations stand out.
Course: PGA National Champion Course – 7,125 yards, Par 70
Serving as host since 2007, the Champion Course isn’t long at just over 7,100 yards, but it is usually ranked as one of the most difficult tracks on Tour. The relatively short length and the number of water hazards make this an irons and approach setup. It’s a ball-strikers layout so hit the fairways and give yourself a chance to reach the greens. It’s a simple strategy but the hazards – water and wind – oftentimes get in the way. The legendary “Bear Trap” of holes 15-17 also creates plenty of drama. According to the PGA Tour website around 2,000 golf balls have hit the drink in the Trap since 2007. In the previous 16 editions at PGA National only four winners finished better than 10-under. Straka closed with a 66 to finish at exactly 10-under, one swing better than Shane Lowry.
TV Coverage: Golf Channel, NBC
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker.eu.
Check out the latest odds at BookMaker
