The PGA Tour heads back to the east coast this week for the Honda Classic from the PGA National Resort & Spa in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. The 46th edition of this event will feature an impressive field on paper with defending champion Rickie Fowler back to defend his title. Justin Thomas, Rory McIlroy and Sergio Garcia are expected to be Fowler’s top competition this week as they look to overcome the Bear Trap at PGA National and finish atop the leaderboard. Here is a look at some of the most intriguing plays on the board for this week’s event.
Event Details
Event: Honda Classic
Category: PGA
Date: February 22-25th, 2018
Location: PGA National Resort & Spa, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
Rickie Fowler +900 (odds courtesy of BetDSI)
The defending Honda Classic champion Fowler is the sports betting favorite for the 2018 edition of this tournament. In addition to winning here last year, Fowler led at the halfway mark of the 2016 Honda Classic before fading over the final two rounds. A talented golfer that clearly loves to play at this venue, Fowler will be a popular pick to win this week.
Justin Thomas +1000
Thomas might be the best value among the betting favorites at +1000 odds. While he has been pretty average this season, he absolutely dominated at the Sony Open last year and could definitely contend for the win this week. Thomas doesn’t have the most impressive course form figures but that could make him a sneaky good pick this week.
Rory McIlroy +1100
McIlroy has posted some impressive numbers at PGA National in the past including winning this event in 2012. He nearly won it again in 2014 and should be among the top contenders this week. McIlroy is a proven commodity and should be another popular betting option for the Honda Classic.
Sergio Garcia +1600
Garcia is another interesting favorite to keep an eye on at PGA National this week. Garcia is a regular at this tournament and he has placed in the top-15 in three of his last four start here. Garcia might not be the most popular pick this far from Spain but nobody will be surprised if he puts it all together and dominates this week.
Tyrell Hatton +2500
Hatton finished on the podium in his most recent start in Dubai and he finished fourth in his debut at PGA National a year ago. He has the tools to succeed at this course and he recorded two top-five finishes in Florida last year. If Hatton plays to his potential this week, he could surprise at decent odds.
Alex Noren +3300
Noren is priced slightly better than Hatton this week and that should open the door for him to be a popular betting pick. He has placed in the top-25 in each of his three starts on American soil this year, including a playoff defeat at Torrey Pines. While he might not have what it takes to win this tournament outright, Noren could be a sneaky good value pick to place in the top-five at the Honda Classic.
Patton Kizzire +8000
Kizzire’s price is definitely a lot lower than expected considering he won the Sony Open in January. He has already proven that he can win at this course. Plus, Kizzire rolls in to this tournament with plenty of confidence after winning two of his last six starts. Kizzire is an excellent sleeper pick for the Honda Classic
Jimmy Walker +15000
If you are looking for a dark horse sleeper pick than Walker might be the best bet. Walker hasn’t fared well at this tournament over the course of his career but he did finish 21st here last year so there is a chance he will build on that result this week. If he can play at a high level from start to finish, Walker might be the biggest surprise of the tournament as he is more than capable of vying for the win this week.
