The PGA Tour goes from sunny California to the Sunshine State with this week’s Honda Classic kicking off the four-tournament swing through Florida. The field has dwindled a bit with a number of stars skipping this year’s edition, but don’t worry 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. Matt Jones is back to defend the title he won by a record-tying five swings last year and is joined by South Florida locals Daniel Berger and Brooks Koepka. That trio is chasing down 2020 winner and opening favorite Sungjae Im on the odds board, though. 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 +1000
Daniel Berger +1400
Louis Oosthuizen +1808
Brooks Koepka +1808
Joaquin Niemann +1808
Billy Horschel +1808
Tommy Fleetwood +2209
Shane Lowry +2509
Alex Noren +2816
Keith Mitchell +3016
Brian Harman +3016
Mito Pereira +3867
Matthew Wolff +4000
Aaron Wise +4000
Matt Jones +4000
Mackenzie Hughes +4500
Cameron Young +4500
Russell Knox +5000
Jhonattan Vegas +5000
Kyoung Hoon Lee +5047
Denny McCarthy +5050
CT Pan +5250
Christiaan Bezuidenhout +5500
Taylor Moore +5500
Patrick Reed +5500
Gary Woodland +5500
Ryan Palmer +6000
Chris Kirk +6500
Nicolai Hojgaard +6500
Lucas Glover +7000
Lee Westwood +7500
Rickie Fowler +7500
Michael Thompson +7500
Odds Analysis
Tommy Fleetwood +2209
Fleetwood pegs it up on Tour for the first time this year, but he has been active with three starts in the Middle East. And he progressively had better finishes meaning good things could be in store for the Englishman. He ended his run with a T12 in Dubai and a T8 in Saudi Arabia and he’s been decent in this event with a pair of top-5s in both his visits. The price is inviting for a player with a lot of history and a recent run of good form.
Brooks Koepka +1808
A homecoming should brighten the spirits of Koepka, who missed the cut at last week’s Genesis and has failed to play the weekend in half of his eight Tour starts this season. We saw how well he plays on familiar grounds with a T3 two weeks ago in Phoenix and while he hasn’t torn this venue up in the past, he has enjoyed some success with a podium finish a few years ago. I was initially hesitant to back him at this price, but sometimes you just have to play a hunch.
Keith Mitchell +3016
It was on this course three years ago that Mitchell’s career took off. He claimed his first and so far only PGA title holding off Koepka and Rickie Fowler for a 1-shot victory, and things have continued to steamroll for him. He’s been one of the best on Tour tee to green helping him capture three top-10s and a pair of T12s in his last eight starts.
Ryan Palmer +6000
With many of the game’s top players taking a week off the field is open to some further down the rankings to rise up. One who has some value appears to be Palmer, who has past success on this course. He’s played the weekend in eight of his last nine starts with a pair of top-5s and should be considered in alternate markets as well. His finishing results haven’t been spectacular lately, but he’s 12th best on Tour in strokes gained: tee to green. If he continues to play well in that area he should avoid some potential pitfalls and a hot putter could put him in contention.
Gary Woodland +5500
It’s easy to see why Woodland is priced where he is. It’s been a struggle lately with four MCs in his last five starts. And the tournament he played four rounds yielded him a T39. So there isn’t much to suggest a breakthrough this week, but anything can happen and that’s the beauty of the game. Woodland has enjoyed success on this track going 8 for 8 with a runner-up finish in 2017 the best of his three top-10s. For some reason he’s been good on a course that ranks as one of the most difficult on Tour, an encouraging sign at his price.
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 over 1,600 golf balls have hit the drink in the Trap since 2007. In the previous 15 editions at PGA National only four winners finished better than 10-under. Jones finished one-shot off 72-hole record of 13-under last year.
TV Coverage: Golf Channel, NBC
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