The Honda Classic: PGA Golf Odds And Predictions
Last week at the Genesis Open at Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles, our winning recommendation was England’s Paul Casey. He finished tied for 49th at 1-over 285. The winner by two shots at 12 under was American Bubba Watson, a two-time Masters champion who was a victor at Riviera for the third time. He hadn’t won anywhere on Tour since the 2016 Genesis Open and had slipped into the low 100s in the world rankings due to struggles with his game and a mystery illness that led Watson to consider retirement.
The other noteworthy item last week was Tiger Woods missing the cut following rounds of 72-76, but Tiger felt good enough physically to commit to this week’s start of the Florida Swing, the Honda Classic at PGA National’s Champion course in Palm Beach Gardens. That is almost in Tiger’s backyard as he has an estate in nearby Jupiter Island. The Champion course is a par 70 measuring 7,110 yards and has one of the most difficult three-hole stretches on Tour, Nos. 15-17, called the “Bear Trap” after one of the course’s designers, the great Jack Nicklaus.
Honda Classic Golfer Odds
The defending champion is Rickie Fowler, who was uneven in a final-round 1-over 71 last year but won by four over Morgan Hoffman and Gary Woodland. Fowler’s 12-under 267 total was one off the PGA National record set eight years ago by Camilo Villegas. Fowler also has two other Top-10 finishes in this tournament since 2012. He last played a couple of weeks ago in Scottsdale and tied for 11th.
Rory McIlroy is +1000 and Justin Thomas +1100. McIlroy won this tournament in 2012 at 12 under by two strokes and was a runner-up in 2014 to Russell Henley. McIlroy missed the cut at the Honda in 2016 & ’15 in his last two trips. Thomas has played here three times and has sandwiched missed cuts around a third-place finish in 2016. He was ninth last week in Los Angeles.
Sergio Garcia makes his 2018 PGA Tour debut, and the Spaniard is +1900. He was a runner-up at PGA National in 2016 to Adam Scott, who is +5100 this week. Tiger is +6800.
Canadian Golfer Odds
No Canadian has won this event, which has been held since 1972. Dan Halldorson was a co-runner-up in 1991 to Steve Pate. The top-ranked Canadian, Adam Hadwin, is not playing this week off an excellent T6 at Riviera.
Ben Silverman is +22500. He finished 53rd last week at 2 over and debuts at PGA National. Corey Conners is +23000 and Mackenzie Hughes +30300. Conners makes his debut in the tournament and is off a missed cut two weeks ago at Pebble Beach. Hughes also was off last week after a MC at Pebble. He was 66th here in his debut a year ago.
Honda Classic Predictions
Recommend Top 10 results for Fowler and Scott but will take a shot on Russell Knox at +5100 to win. He did miss the cut here last year but was third in 2015 and second in 2014. The Scotsman comes off a solid T15 at Pebble Beach and now lives in Florida.