After a brief layover in Mexico the PGA Tour heads to the Sunshine State for the first event in the four-tournament Florida Swing. This week’s destination is Palm Beach Gardens for the Honda Classic, contested on the Champion Course at PGA National Resort and Spa. Defending champ Keith Mitchell will attempt to become only the second player to go back-to-back at the Honda Classic, joining legendary Jack Nicklaus. Mitchell is well down the odds board at online sportsbooks. Rickie Fowler and Brooks Koepka will tee it up for the first time in several weeks looking to improve on their runner-up finishes 12 months ago. Visit BookMaker.eu for a complete list of betting odds when you’re ready to place a wager.
Tommy Fleetwood +1010
Brooks Koepka +1110
Rickie Fowler +1210
Gary Woodland +2000
Justin Rose +2200
Louis Oosthuizen +2200
Viktor Hovland +2800
Billy Horschel +2800
Byeong Hun An +3300
Daniel Berger +3300
Sungjae Im +3300
Shane Lowry +3500
Erik Van Rooyen +4500
Ian Poulter +5500
J.T. Poston +5500
Joaquin Niemann +5500
Harris English +6000
Emiliano Grillo +6000
Corey Conners +6000
Charles Howell III +6000
Ryan Palmer +6000
Luke List +6000
Lee Westwood +6000
Wyndham Clark +6600
Russell Knox +7000
Lucas Glover +7000
Jason Kokrak +7000
Keegan Bradley +7000
Kevin Streelman +7000
Keith Mitchell +7500
Charl Schwartzel +7500
Brian Harman +7500
Bud Cauley +8000
Jhonattan Vegas +8000
Harold Varner III +8000
Harry Higgs +8000
Kurt Kitayama +8000
Matthew NeSmith +8000
Matthew Wolff +8000
Vaughn Taylor +8000
Odds Analysis
Gary Woodland +2000
He’s never missed a cut in seven appearances at the Honda Classic and Woodland has a pair of top-10s, including a runner-up finish in 2017. That’s all well and good, but it’s his fondness for the course, Florida, and Bermuda that has me looking at him. “I grew up on bentgrass so poa annua is the farthest thing from what I grew up on, so I like getting to Florida, nice Bermuda. I’m close to home, too, which is good. But I like getting to that Florida Swing.” Well said Gary, well said.
Brooks Koepka +1110
Koepka’s absence on the Tour this season has been noticeable. He’s played in only three events with far from spectacular results. Apparently the knee injury that sidelined him is worse than most knew. However, if he couldn’t play I’m sure he wouldn’t. And it’s not like he’s travelling far since he resides in West Palm Beach. Every tournament has its own hurdles and Koepka needs to get going with major season around the corner. But can he win a non-major? It’s not like he’s trying to lose and given familiar surrounding I’m counting on a big week.
Rickie Fowler +1210
Another player who hasn’t teed it up in a few weeks but comes in among the favorites is Fowler, a former champion at this event. He’s also familiar to the surrounding area since he resides nearby and has played a number of rounds at PGA National. That doesn’t mean he’s going to win the thing, but it’s helped in the past. Along with his 2017 title, Fowler also has a runner-up finish with Koepka last season. Fowler overcame a big number in the first round to make a charge, and it’s hard to do that on a tough course.
Viktor Hovland +2800
Winning back-to-back PGA Tour events is probably harder than throwing a no-hitter in baseball, unless you’re Tiger Woods or Nolan Ryan. Hovland is neither, but he is a Tour champion after last week’s triumph in Puerto Rico, delivering on the expectations since before he turned pro. Hovland was on the fast track. He made the cut in each of his first five Tour starts placing among the top-16 four times. He has the tools and showed them off last week. The hangover might be too much, but Hovland is playing for a reason.
Billy Horschel +2800
Past form isn’t always an indicator of future success. So why am I leaning on Horschel? Well, he has notched consecutive top-10s in Phoenix and Mexico, and he returns to a putting surface he adores and a format where he feels comfortable. His approach stats have been positive in recent events and he knows how to maneuver around PGA National with three top-16 showings in his past four visits.
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. There’s also a change of grass type to Bermuda greens after plenty of poa annua on the West Coast swing.
TV Coverage: NBC, Golf Channel
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