With the theatrics of THE PLAYERS Championship behind us and the WGC Match Play on the horizon, a number of PGA Tour superstars are skipping this year’s edition of the Honda Classic. Not to worry though, there are a handful of big names at the top of the board this week looking to tame the Champion Course at PGA National Resort and Spa. Defending champ Sungjae Im will attempt to become only the second player to go back-to-back at the Honda Classic, joining legendary Jack Nicklaus. Im is behind only Pebble Beach winner Daniel Berger on the opening odds list. After kicking off the Florida swing last year, the Honda Classic puts a bow on the march through the Sunshine state. Visit BookMaker.eu for a complete list of betting odds when you’re ready to place a wager.
Odds to Win The Honda Classic at BookMaker.eu
Daniel Berger +1000
Sungjae Im +1400
Joaquin Niemann +1800
Lee Westwood +2000
Adam Scott +2500
Brian Harman +2800
Russell Henley +3000
Shane Lowry +3000
Talor Gooch +3000
Cameron Tringale +3500
Chris Kirk +4000
Gary Woodland +4000
Brendan Steele +4500
Cameron Davis +4500
Rickie Fowler +4500
Sam Burns +4500
Keegan Bradley +5000
Doug Ghim +5500
Dylan Frittelli +5500
Martin Kaymer +5500
Brandon Wu +6000
Byeong-Hun An +6000
Mackenzie Hughes +6000
Matt Wallace +6000
Wyndham Clark +6000
Ian Poulter +6600
Jhonattan Vegas +6600
John Huh +6600
JT. Poston +6600
Kevin Streelman +6600
Luke List +6600
Russell Knox +6600
Adam Hadwin +7500
Alex Noren +7500
Matt Jones +7500
Ryan Moore +7500
Odds Analysis
Rickie Fowler +4500
Maybe Fowler can pull a Jordan Spieth and emerge from a slump that’s lasted way too long for his liking. If it’s going to happen this is the place to do it, and the field to do it against. Fowler, like many on Tour, resides in Florida making this a home game for him. He admittedly has a comfort level on familiar surfaces and that’s been evident on this track. He has a win (2017), a runner-up and another top-10 in his last five starts at PGA National, though those other two were MCs. This is certainly a longshot pick with Fowler having finished no better than T20 this season.
Russell Henley +3000
We’re getting Henley at a good price as long as he doesn’t let last week’s MC invade his thoughts. He’s cooled off since the start of the season when he was toying with titles at the ZOZO and CJ CUP. Part of his appeal is in his ball-striking and accuracy. He ranks among the best on Tour in accuracy, which will definitely be a plus on this layout. Henley is 7 of 8 at this event with a win in 2014. He’s gotten progressively better since a MC in 2016 finishing among the top-10 last year.
Sungjae Im +1400
Closing with a bang, Im shot a 66 on Sunday to emerge with his maiden PGA Tour victory at last year’s festivities. He entered last year on a run of solid form and he’s at it again with five top-20s in his last nine starts, including a T17 at THE PLAYERS. History isn’t on his side since we’ve rarely seen a back to back winner at the Honda Classic, but Im has a leg up on the competition.
Brendan Steele +4500
Steele led at the halfway point last year before settling into a T4. What’s so intriguing about that is a few recent Honda Classic winners also had a lead after 36 holes and returned the following year to triumph. Most recently Im co-led at the midpoint in 2019 before winning the following year. That doesn’t mean anything and is likely just a coincidence, but Steele has been solid playing through the weekend in his last seven starts. He’s placed among the top-15 in four of his last five starts here and looks poised for a good week.
Lee Westwood +2000
Now is not the time to fade Westwood. Coming off a pair of runner-up finishes and playing a course that’s yielded four top-10s in his last eight visits, maybe the Englishman is due for a breakthrough. “I’ve played this course a lot of times. It’s a golf course I feel comfortable on,” he said. It’s hard to argue with his recent and course form, so I’m not going to. I’ll just put a few bucks down on him and hope for the best.
Course: PGA National Champion Course – 7,125 yards, Par 70
It’s not long at just over 7,100 yards, but the Champion Course is usually ranked as one of the most difficult 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. Since the first playing at PGA National in 2007 only three winners finished better than 10-under. Rickie Fowler was the last at 12-under in 2017.
TV Coverage: Golf Channel, NBC
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