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PGA - The Honda Classic Preview
From The Sports Network
| DATES: Thursday, March 1st through Sunday, March 4th |
| SITE: PGA National Resort & Spa (Champion Course), Palm Beach Gardens, Florida |
| COURSE ARCHITECT: Tom and George Fazio (1981), Jack Nicklaus (1990, 2002) |
| Hole-By-Hole: | 1 - Par 4 365 Yds | 10 - Par 4 508 Yds | |
| 2 - Par 4 464 Yds | 11 - Par 4 450 Yds | |
| 3 - Par 5 538 Yds | 12 - Par 4 427 Yds | |
| 4 - Par 4 376 Yds | 13 - Par 4 388 Yds | |
| 5 - Par 3 217 Yds | 14 - Par 4 465 Yds | |
| 6 - Par 4 479 Yds | 15 - Par 3 179 Yds | |
| 7 - Par 3 226 Yds | 16 - Par 4 434 Yds | |
| 8 - Par 4 427 Yds | 17 - Par 3 190 Yds | |
| 9 - Par 4 421 Yds | 18 - Par 5 556 Yds | |
| ------------- | ------------- | |
| 35 3,513 Yds | 35 3,597 Yds | |
| Annual: | 40th |
| Television: | Golf Channel - Thursday/Friday -- 3-6 p.m. (et), |
| | - Thursday/Friday -- 8:30-11:30 p.m. (et) - replay, |
| | - Saturday/Sunday -- 1-3 p.m. (et), |
| | NBC - Saturday/Sunday -- 3-6 p.m. (et) |
| Defending Champion: | Rory Sabbatini |
| Runner-Up: | Y.E. Yang |
| Tournament Record: | 264 (Justin Leonard, 2003) |
| 54-Hole Record: | 196 (Davis Love III, 2003) |
| 36-Hole Record: | 128 (Dan Pohl, 1989) |
| 18-Hole Record: | 62 (Hale Irwin, 1979 - Inverrary G&CC) |
| | (Dan Pohl, 1989; Tim Herron, 1996 - TPC at Eagle Trace) |
| | (Jerry Kelly, Adam Scott, 2003 - Mirasol - Sunset Course) |
| Course Record: | 64 (Luke Donald, 2008; Greg Chalmers, 2009; Stephen Ames, |
| | Mike Weir, Justin Rose, Paul Casey, Anthony Kim, 2010; |
| | Rory Sabbatini, Graeme McDowell, 2011) |
| Total Purse: | $5,700,000 |
| Shares: | 1st Place - $1,026,000; 2nd Place - $616,600; 3rd Place - $387,600 |
| 2011 Finish |
| Player | Score | Player | Score |
| Rory Sabbatini | 271 | Matt Bettencourt | 278 |
| Y.E. Yang | 272 | Graeme McDowell | 278 |
| Jerry Kelly | 273 | Jeff Overton | 278 |
| Ricky Barnes | 276 | Gary Woodland | 278 |
| Tommy Gainey | 277 | Four players at | 279 |
| Past Honda Classic Winners |
| Year | Winner (Score) -- Runners-Up |
| 2011 | Rory Sabbatini (271) -- Y.E. Yang |
| 2010 | Camilo Villegas (267) -- Anthony Kim |
| 2009 | Y.E. Yang (271) -- John Rollins |
| 2008 | Ernie Els (274) -- Luke Donald |
| 2007 | *Mark Wilson (275) -- Jose Coceres, Boo Weekley, Camilo Villegas |
| 2006 | Luke Donald (276) -- Geoff Ogilvy |
| 2005 | *Padraig Harrington (274) -- Vijay Singh, Joe Ogilvie |
| 2004 | Todd Hamilton (276) -- Davis Love III |
| 2003 | Justin Leonard (264) -- Chad Campbell, Davis Love III |
| 2002 | Matt Kuchar (269) -- Brad Faxon, Joey Sindelar |
| 2001 | Jesper Parnevik (270) -- Craig Perks, Mark Calcavecchia, Geoff Ogilvy |
| 2000 | Dudley Hart (269) -- J.P. Hayes, Kevin Wentworth |
| 1999 | Vijay Singh (277) -- Payne Stewart |
| 1998 | Mark Calcavecchia (270) -- Vijay Singh |
| 1997 | Stuart Appleby (274) -- Michael Bradley, Payne Stewart |
| 1996 | Tim Herron (271) -- Mark McCumber |
| 1995 | Mark O'Meara (275) -- Nick Faldo |
| 1994 | Nick Price (276) -- Craig Parry |
| 1993 | *#Fred Couples (207) -- Robert Gamez |
| 1992 | *Corey Pavin (273) -- Fred Couples |
| 1991 | Steve Pate (279) -- Paul Azinger, Dan Halldorson |
| 1990 | John Huston (282) -- Mark Calcavecchia |
| 1989 | Blaine McCallister (266) -- Payne Stewart |
| 1988 | Joey Sindelar (276) -- Ed Fiori, Sandy Lyle, Payne Stewart |
| 1987 | Mark Calcavecchia (279) -- Bernhard Langer, Payne Stewart |
| 1986 | Kenny Knox (287) -- Andy Bean, John Mahaffey, Jodie Mudd, Clarence Rose |
| 1985 | *Curtis Strange (275) -- Peter Jacobsen |
| 1984 | *Bruce Lietzke (280) -- Andy Bean |
| 1983 | Johnny Miller (278) -- Jack Nicklaus |
| 1982 | Hale Irwin (269) -- Jack Nicklaus, Denis Watson |
| 1981 | Tom Kite (274) -- Jack Nicklaus |
| 1980 | Johnny Miller (274) -- Charles Coody, Bruce Lietzke |
| 1979 | Larry Nelson (274) -- Grier Jones |
| 1978 | Jack Nicklaus (276) -- Grier Jones |
| 1977 | Jack Nicklaus (275) -- Gary Player |
| 1976 | @Jack Nicklaus (269) -- J.C.Snead (Tournament Players Championship) |
| 1975 | Bob Murphy (273) -- Eddie Pearce |
| 1974 | Leonard Thompson (278) -- Hale Irwin |
| 1973 | Lee Trevino (279) -- Forrest Fezler |
| 1972 | Tom Weiskopf (278) -- Jack Nicklaus |
| @ - Tournament Players Championship |
| Note:Formerly called Honda Inverrary Classic (1982-83), American Motors |
|
Inverrary Classic (1981), Jackie Gleason's Inverrary Classic (1974-80),
Jackie Gleason's Inverrary National Airlines Classic (1973) and Jackie
Gleason's Inverrary Classic (1972). Inverrary Golf and Country Club
served as host to the Tournament Players Championship in 1976.
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| Top Contenders in the Field |
| Player | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
| Rory Sabbatini | --- | --- | T-9 | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | Won |
| Y.E. Yang | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | T-72 | Won | mc | 2nd |
| Jerry Kelly | T-21 | T-8 | --- | --- | --- | mc | T-20 | mc | T-12 | 3rd |
| Graeme McDowell | --- | --- | --- | T-65 | --- | --- | --- | --- | T-31 | T-6 |
| Spencer Levin | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | T-27 | mc | T-14 |
| Charl Schwartzel | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | T-14 |
| Justin Leonard | --- | Won | T-25 | T-38 | mc | mc | T-30 | T-52 | T-17 | T-17 |
| Robert Allenby | --- | T-40 | T-4 | T-14 | T-31 | T-5 | T-4 | T-5 | mc | T-21 |
| Lee Westwood | --- | --- | --- | --- | T-55 | --- | --- | --- | T-9 | T-29 |
| Ian Poulter | --- | --- | --- | --- | T-41 | T-46 | --- | --- | --- | T-36 |
| Rory McIlroy | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | T-13 | T-40 | T-70 |
| Ernie Els | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | Won | T-22 | T-67 | T-70 |
| Camilo Villegas | --- | --- | --- | --- | T-31 | T-2 | T-24 | mc | Won | mc |
| Johnson Wagner | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | T-68 | mc | T-64 | T-40 | mc |
| Keegan Bradley | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | mc |
| Robert Karlsson | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | mc |
| Louis Oosthuizen | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | wd |
| Justin Rose | --- | T-57 | T-36 | T-14 | --- | --- | T-15 | mc | 3rd | --- |
| Padraig Harrington | --- | --- | --- | Won | T-16 | T-13 | --- | --- | T-40 | --- |
| Mark Wilson | --- | mc | --- | T-63 | --- | Won | mc | mc | 72nd | --- |
| Thomas Bjorn | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Tiger Woods | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Sports Network Selections |
| Pick to Win - Lee Westwood |
| Darkhorse - Jimmy Walker |
| |
| Last Week's Pick to Win - Match Play (McIlroy, D.Johnson) - Final, 3rd rd |
| Last Week's Darkhorse - Match Play (Oosthuizen, Jacobson) - 2nd rd, 1st rd |
| |
| Last Week's Pick to Win - Mayakoba Classic (Spencer Levin) - Finished T-34 |
| Last Week's Darkhorse - Mayakoba Classic (Jarrod Lyle) - Finished T-37 |
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| NOTES: |
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The PGA Tour heads east to Florida this week for the first of four straight
events in the Sunshine State. First up is The Honda Classic. Six of the
top-21 players in the world are scheduled to compete - Rory McIlroy (2), Lee
Westwood (3), Charl Schwartzel (12), Graeme McDowell (15). Keegan Bradley (20)
and Tiger Woods (21). Many European Tour players are playing in preparation
for the WGC-Cadillac Championship next week at Doral. All four major
championship winners from 2011 are in the field - Schwartzel (Masters),
McIlroy (U.S. Open), Darren Clarke (British Open) and Bradley (PGA
Championship).
McIlroy is coming off a runner-up finish at the WGC-Accenture Match Play
Championship. Westwood lost in the semifinals to McIlroy. Woods is playing in
this event for the first time as a professional. He missed the cut in 1993 as
an amateur.
The Champion Course at PGA National Resort and Spa staged the 1983 Ryder Cup
matches and the 1987 PGA Championship, won by Larry Nelson. The course was
also the site of 28 Senior PGA Championships and five PGA Club Professional
Championships. The Champion Course was originally designed by Tom and George
Fazio in 1981 and redesigned and renovated by Nicklaus in 1990 and 2002. PGA
National ranked as the toughest course on the PGA Tour in 2011 outside of the
major championships, with a scoring average of 72.540 (+2.540).
Last year, Rory Sabbatini fired rounds of 71-64-66-70 to hold off 2009
champion Y.E. Yang and win. Sabbatini, who won for the sixth time on the PGA
Tour, finished at nine-under-par 271. Sabbatini's 64 in the second round
matched the course record.
In 2009, Yang birdied three straight holes on the front nine in the final
round, then hung on to defeat John Rollins and win by a single stroke.
Yang, who entered the event ranked 460th in the world, shot a two-under 68 on
the final day and completed his first PGA Tour title at nine-under-par 271.
He joined K.J. Choi as the only two Koreans to win on the PGA Tour. Yang
went on to win the PGA Championship in 2009, coming from behind to defeat
Woods in the final round.
Yang became the 11th player to earn his first PGA Tour win at this event,
joining Leonard Thompson (1974), Larry Nelson (1979), Kenny Knox (1986), John
Huston (1990), Tim Herron (1996), Stuart Appleby (1997), Matt Kuchar (2002),
Todd Hamilton (2004), Padraig Harrington (2005) and Mark Wilson (2007).
In 2008, Ernie Els fired a final-round 67 to come from three strokes down at
the start of the day to win. Els finished at six-under-par 274 to beat 2006
champion Luke Donald by one shot. The victory for Els was his first on the PGA
Tour since the 2004 WGC-American Express Championship in Ireland.
Geoff Ogilvy became the fifth player in tournament history to record a double-
eagle in 2006, when he holed out from 180 yards with an eight-iron. The other
players who have double eagles are: Bruce Lietzke (1980), David Sutherland
(2000), Tim Petrovic (2002) and James McLean (2003).
Padraig Harrington holed a six-foot par putt on the second playoff hole in
2005 and then watched as Vijay Singh's short par effort lipped out to give the
Irishman his first career victory on the PGA Tour. Harrington's six-shot
comeback in the final round was the largest in event history.
In 2003, course records were falling, as Davis Love III set a new 54-hole
mark of 196 after back-to-back 65s in rounds two and three. That same year,
Justin Leonard's tournament total of 264 broke the event mark by two shots
set back in 1989 by Blaine McCallister.
Jack Nicklaus is the only player to win two straight years (1977-78).
Nicklaus, Johnny Miller and Mark Calcavecchia are the only multiple champions.
In addition, Nicklaus won this event in 1976 when it hosted The Tournament
Players Championship.
Over the years, this tournament has been staged at many sites. From 1972
through 1983 the tournament was held at Inverrary Golf & Country Club's East
Course, when it was titled the Jackie Gleason Inverrary Classic. Under its
present name, the tournament moved to the TPC at Eagle Trace from 1984 through
1991. In 1992, the event moved to Weston Hills Golf & Country Club for four
seasons, followed by a one-year return to the TPC at Eagle Trace. From 1997 to
2002, the TPC at Heron Bay was the host venue. The Country Club at Mirasol
hosted from 2003-06 before it moved to PGA National in 2007.
The last time a player shot 80 and still won a tournament on the PGA Tour was
in 1986, when Kenny Knox claimed a one-shot victory at this event. Jesper
Parnevik (2001) and Herron (1996) are the only wire-to-wire winners in
tournament history. Nine players have gone on to win after sharing or holding
sole possession of the 36-hole lead - Nicklaus (1977), Curtis Strange (1985),
Knox (1986), Steve Pate (1991), Mark O'Meara (1995), Herron (1996), Parnevik
(2001), Yang (2009) and Camilo Villegas (2010).
The PGA Tour continues its Florida swing in Miami next week for the
WGC-Cadillac Championship, as Nick Watney defends his title at the TPC Blue
Monster at Doral against the best players in the world. The rest of the PGA
Tour will be at the Puerto Rico Open, where Michael Bradley captured the 2011
event.
02/28 14:45:16 ET
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As of February 28, 2012, at 02:45 PM ET
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