Honda Classic Preview: Betting Tips, TV Times
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The PGA Tour heads to Florida for the Honda Classic this week: Betting Tips, TV Times, What you need to know
Justin Thomas bested Luke List in a playoff last year and is looking to become just the second person to defend the Honda Classic in the tournament’s 48-year-history as the PGA Tour heads to Florida this week.
Thomas, who matched his own course record during last week’s final round in Mexico to earn his third top 10 in a row, will be joined by 2017 Champion Rickie Fowler, in addition to World No.4 Brooks Koepka, Sergio Garcia and Adam Scott.
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What you need to know
First founded in 1947, PGA National was redesigned by Jack Nicklaus in 1990 and has since become renowned for it’s demanding layout.
Home to the infamous ‘Bear Trap’, dubbed after Nicklaus, the 15th, 16th and 17th holes are known as one of the most challenging stretches on the PGA Tour, with Nicklaus himself once stating that the tournament should ‘all be won or lost here’.
One of the key characteristics of the transition from West Coast to East Coast is usually the wind, but with forecasts barely reaching gusts of 12mph for the four days of competition, Brian Harman’s course record could well be in danger this week.
The Honda Classic has been played at PGA National since 2007.
Course: PGA National (Champion), Palm Beach Gardens, FL | Par 70 | 7,125 yards
Defending Champion: Justin Thomas
18-Hole Record: 61, Brian Harman (2nd round, 2012).
FedEx Cup Points: 500
Purse: $6,800,000
Honda Classic: How to watch the PGA Tour in the UK
Wednesday:
On the Range: Live PGA Tour, Sky Sports Golf (20:00)
Thursday & Friday
Featured Groups: Live PGA Tour, Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Golf (13:00)
Main Coverage: Sky Sports Golf (19:00)
Saturday
Sky Sports Golf (18:00)
Sunday
Sky Sports Golf (18:00), Sky Sports Main Event (19:00)
Honda Classic: Betting Tips
Justin Thomas: 9/2
The defending champion matched his own course-record at Club de Golf Chapultepec on Sunday at the WGC Mexico Championship, finishing inside the top 10 for the fourth time in five starts in 2019. Has gone 1-MC-T3- MC in four Honda starts. Ranks 1st SG: Tee to Green, SG: Approach the green, 2nd for Scoring and Birdie Average, and 6th for greens in regulation.
Rickie Fowler: 10/1
Fowler finished T36 in his first start since gaining his fifth PGA Tour victory at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, and was the champion here in 2017 (and has two other top 10s). Ranks 4th for birdie average, 5th for scoring average and 10th SG: Putting.
Adam Scott: 14/1
Three top 10s in his last six starts include a runner up finish at the Farmers Insurance Open and T7 at the Genesis two weeks ago. The 2016 champion hasn’t finished worse than T14 in his last four starts, and ranks 18th for SG: Putting on the PGA Tour this season.
Brooks Koepka: 14/1
Koepka posted a top 10 in Abu Dhabi before going T57-T27, and it would be unwise to rule out the former World No.1 – even if his best result so far at the Honda Classic is a T26, Ranks 19th for birdie average.
Sergio Garica: 14/1
Garcia finished T6 at the WGC Mexico Championship last week following a T37 at the Genesis Open and a DQ from the Saudi International for damaging greens. Before that, Garcia had seven consecutive top 10s, including victory at the Valderrama Masters in October. Doesn’t rank for stats on the PGA Tour this year but ranks inside the top 10 for Scoring average, GIR, SG: Approach and SG: Tee to green on the European Tour.
Gary Woodland: 18/1
Seven top 10s this season so far include a T9 at the Farmers Insurance Open and T7 at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, which he followed up with a T17 last week in Mexico. Woodland finished as a runner-up in 2017, and ranks 3rd for birdie average, 4th for GIR, 5th for SG: Off the tee, 6th for Scoring average and 7th for SG: Tee to green.
Webb Simpson: 20/1
Simpson recorded a T5 last year on first appearance at the Honda Classic since 2011, and has two top 10s and no worse than T39 (last week in Mexico) in five starts this season. Ranks 3rd SG: Approach the green and inside the top 20 on Tour for GIR, Scoring average and SG: Tee to green.
Cameron Smith: 22/1
A top 10 at last week’s WGC Mexico Championship was his fifth in nine starts worldwide starts, and is making his debut at the Honda Classic this week. Ranks 12th for both SG: Approach the green and SG: Around the green on the PGA Tour.
Luke List: 35/1
List lost in a playoff to Thomas last year and heads to Florida after a T15 at the Genesis Open, his best result since two top-5 results in three starts at the beginning of the season. Ranks 3rd SG: Off the tee, 5th for Driving distance and 10th SG: Tee to green.
Lucas Glover: 50/1
Excluding a solitary missed cut at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, Glover hasn’t finished worse than T17 in six starts on Tour – and heads to PGA National following a T7 at the AT&T Pebble Beach Open. T17-T21 in last two Honda starts with a best of T4 in 2013. Ranks 2nd for GIR and inside the top 15 for Scoring average and SG: Tee to green this season.
Scott Piercy: 50/1
T10 in his last start in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro Am was one of four top 10s this season on the PGA Tour. T17 at last year’s Honda Classic, best of T5 in 2009. 16th on Tour for both GIR and Driving Accuracy.
