2018 The Honda Classic Golf – Tournament Outright Betting Preview

The PGA Tour switches from the west to the east coast this week for The Honda Classic which means we are set for three of the best holes in golf in terms of The Bear Trap. This tournament sees the beginning of the Florida Swing, a popular set of tournaments with players and fans alike and this one in particular always provides fantastic action.

It might be the opening WGC event of the season next week but that has not stopped a fantastic field being assembled for the first Florida tournament of 2018. That field includes the defending champion Rickie Fowler.

Recent Winners

2017 – Rickie Fowler

2016 – Adam Scott

2015 – Padraig Harrington

2014 – Russell Henley

2013 – Michael Thompson

2012 – Rory McIlroy

2011 – Rory Sabbatini

2010 – Camilo Villegas

2009 – YE Yang

2008 – Ernie Els

The Course

We are at the wonderful PGA National for the tournament this week. The course is always one of the toughest par 70s on the PGA Tour. It measures 7,140 yards and it is all about the stretch between 15 and 17 which is the famous Bear Trap. The 3-4-3 run to par always plays over par and tests not only accuracy but bottle, heart and mettle. Only the strongest survive this test.

Wind is always a factor on this golf course and with water and bunkers heavily in play on most of the holes it is a real tee to green monster. Accuracy and strategy is paramount around here so we are looking for someone who has good control of both their golf ball and their mind and who can play in the wind.

The Field

There are some massive names in the field this week. We might be missing the number one in the rankings in Dustin Johnson but the likes of Rickie Fowler, Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas and Sergio Garcia more than make up for that.

We have the best Europe has to offer teeing it up this week too in Tommy Fleetwood, Martin Kaymer, Alex Noren and Tyrrell Hatton while seasoned campaigners such as Kevin Kisner, Patrick Reed and Jason Dufner are also playing here. Phoenix Open champion Gary Woodland is also in the field this week.

Market Leaders

The defending champion Rickie Fowler is the 9/1 favourite to win the tournament this week but he doesn’t look completely on his game to me and in this field and certainly around this track I would want to know for sure that everything is pinpoint in order to back him at that price. Others are much better value in my eyes.

Justin Thomas is the second favourite this week off the back of a much better effort at Riviera last week. He has had a couple of decent runs in this tournament in the past and being a major champion now his profile and no doubt confidence will be at its highest it has ever been when he has played here. He could be tough to beat.

Rory McIlroy is also 11/1 to win the tournament but he has a lot more to prove. We know the course suits him as he has won around here in the past but his game doesn’t look bang on it and you don’t win around here unless everything is ticketyboo. He is a pretty easy swerve for this tournament even allowing for how good he is.

Sergio Garcia will tee it up as an 18/1 shot to land the title. This is his first PGA tournament of the season and with his first child arriving next month and the defence of his US Masters title not much further away we would be taking it on face value that his head is right for this tournament. He has the tools to go well here but if he is rusty in any way he will be found out. It is 28/1 bar those four.

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Main Bets

I’ll go with two main bets for this tournament. Ever since I heard Alex Noren say he was going to commit to the PGA Tour I’ve been waiting for this week to come around because he is perfect for this test. He nails it off the tee and is excellent into tough greens and he has a wonderful short game. If the wind blows he won’t be found wanting and as long as he takes to the track on debut I expect him to go very well.

Brian Harman is a player who ticks all the boxes this week too. Nobody has more top 10 finishes on the PGA Tour this season than his five which gives us a guide as to not just the form he has shown but also the consistency. He is adept in the wind and has been wonderful from tee to green this year. His short game and putting has always been of a high level so with his game very much trending in the right direction he should be a leading player this week.

Outsiders

I’ll throw some darts at three outsiders this week. I was pleased to see a return to form of Graeme McDowell last week because this course suits him down to the ground. I’m not that worried about him falling away in the final round because the track was too long for him and he spent most of the six hours watching Kevin Na pick his arse and everything else he does other than actually hit a golf ball! McDowell loves a testing track that he has to plot his way around and we know he is comfortable in the wind. If that putter keeps working he should be right there this week.

Emiliano Grillo has a win in Florida to his name on the Web.com Tour and he has the credentials to go well here too as a tee to green specialist. He is competent in the wind and has shown good signs this season. He was second for driving accuracy in the Phoenix Open and fourth in the Sony Open and second in greens hit in the OHL Classic. If he can combine the two he should go very strongly.

Andrew Landry made me a few quid earlier in the season when he was second to Jon Rahm in the CareerBuilder and he is worth a go here at a monster price as well. We saw in that tournament how Landry was rarely off the fairways and also how good his short game and putting under pressure is. If he can find a few more greens, and he should do given that he won’t be troubled by length this week, he could run right into the mix.

Tips

PLACED – Back A.Noren to win Honda Classic (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 34.00 with Coral (1/5 1-7)

Back A.Landry to win Honda Classic (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 251.00 with Coral (1/5 1-7)

Back them here:

Back B.Harman to win Honda Classic (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 41.00 with Betfred (1/5 1-6)

Back G.McDowell to win Honda Classic (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 81.00 with Betfred (1/5 1-6)

Back E.Grillo to win Honda Classic (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 101.00 with Betfred (1/5 1-6)

Back them here:

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