The Honda Classic is the first tournament in the four-week Florida Swing. The date in the schedule has produced an average field after the top 11 players in the world rankings contested the Genesis Invitational last week. Next week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational is popular so the leading players are taking a week off after the run of events on the west coast.
The tournament has been played at PGA National Champion course in Palm Beach Gardens since 2007. The course has always put a premium on over accuracy over distance. However, the rough has been allowed to grow so it is now even more important to find the fairways. Wind could be a factor so keeping the ball in play will be vital so course experience is critical.
The average winning score over the last five renewals is 9 under par. At 7,140 yards in length, it has been the toughest par 70 track outside the majors in six of the last seven seasons so players must have a good all-round game to contend. PGA National could also rank as the hardest course related to par of the 23 venues used during 2021-22 season to date.
So, here are the key skills for good scoring this week:
Driving Accuracy
Greens In Regulation
Strokes Gained Putting
2022 Honda Classic Picks
Outright Winner
Daniel Berger (+1400)
Berger is our Top 10 pick and fancied to get in the mix because of the nature of his game. He is more about driving accuracy and GIR than hitting the ball miles and holing some outrageous putts. Berger excels at finding the right parts of the greens which reduces the pressure on his putting.
He comfortably made the cut at PGA National in 2019 and 2020. His lack of current form is a negative. However, the demands of the terrain give Berger an opportunity to figure on the leaderboard on Sunday and he could well win the tournament.
Best Value Top 10 Pick
Billy Horschel (+2200)
Home state experience will help Horschel contend in one of his favourite tournaments of the season. He has developed into a consistent player, having missed just two cuts over the last year. Horschel has experience of a variety of courses and has more than a limited dimensional game.
His last Tour outing was the Waste Management Phoenix Open two weeks ago. Four rounds below 70 were good enough for a tied sixth finish. Horschel also has some good course form. He has finished in the top 10 in two of his visits since 2016 so deserves to be our outright winner pick.
Potential Sleeper Pick
Russell Knox (+6600)
Knox combines course form and experience, current form, and a good skills’ profile for the challenge this week. He is a top 30 player for driving accuracy and currently third in the standings for finding the fairways off the tee.
Average strokes gained putting stats should not hinder his chances on a course suited to his game. Knox has made the cut in his latest two Tour stops and qualified for the last 36 holes in the Honda Classic in 2019.
For the full list of odds for the outright winner of the Honda Classic, you should visit https://nj.pointsbet.com/sports/golf/2022-The-Honda-Classic.
