Rory McIlroy is back! The world’s no. 1 golfer is set to make his long awaited season debut on the PGA Tour at the Honda Classic this coming Thursday. McIlroy has picked up where he left off last season, finishing first and second in his past two starts at Dubai and Abu Dhabi, respectively.
McIlroy may be the overwhelming favorite in this event but a host of other golfers are ready to prove their mettle and show that they can stand toe-to-toe with the world’s best. Read on below as we highlight five players who we think will be great sleeper picks to win in this tournament.
While you’re at it, you can check out our complete preview of the Honda Classic here as the Florida swing of the PGA Tour tees off in earnest.
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Five 2015 Honda Classic High-Value Sleeper Picks
Lee Westwood
[sc:Golf240banner ]Lee Westwood is off to a solid start this year finishing in the top 10 in his opening two events. He finished ninth in the Dubai Desert Classic last January before claiming a fifth-place finish at the Malaysian Open a couple of weeks back.
The Englishman has had some success in the Honda Classic before, finishing in the top 10 in three of his last five visits at the PGA National. Ball-striking is at a premium at this golf course and Westwood has already proven that he can handle the tough set-up at Palm Beach Gardens. Look for Westwood to be in the hunt this coming weekend.
Martin Kaymer
Even though Martin Kaymer missed the cut at the Honda Classic last year, you can never discount the former world No. 1 from making a charge at this event this coming weekend. Why not? Kaymer has been on fire to start the season finishing in the top 5 in his opening two tournaments.
He finished third at the HSBC Golf Championship in Abu Dhabi before ending up tied for fourth at the Dubai Desert Classic last January. Kaymer has already won three PGA Tour titles and he will be a definite threat to add a fourth tournament win this coming Sunday.
Keegan Bradley showed that he is slowly coming back to form after a fantastic fourth-place finish at the Northern Trust Open last week. Bradley fired a two-under 68 in the final round to finish one stroke back of champion James Hahn.
That is a huge improvement from his 41st place finish a couple of weeks back at the Farmers Insurance Open. Bradley will fancy his chances at the upcoming Honda Classic as he has fared extremely well in this tournament before. He has finished no worse than 12th in this event the last three seasons.
Graham DeLaet
Graham DeLaet carved another top-10 finish last week as he finished eighth in the hotly-contested Northern Trust Open at Riviera. DeLaet shot a two-over-par 73 in the final round to finish two shots back of eventual champion James Hahn.
It’s DeLaet’s second top-10 finish of the year following his seventh-place finish at the Phoenix Open a couple of weeks back. DeLaet is taking full advantage of his strong drive which has been one of the longest on tour this season. He is 17th this season in driving distance, averaging 302.8 yards per drive.
That will be crucial in tackling the long 7,170-yard PGA National golf course. He tied for ninth in last year’s event and will be a good bet to win the Honda Classic this year.
Ryan Palmer
Even though Ryan Palmer missed the cut at Pebble Beach a couple of weeks ago, there’s no denying the fact that Ryan Palmer has been one of the most consistent golfers on the PGA Tour. Prior to that missed cut, Palmer finished in the top 25 in his nine previous events.
That includes his second-place finish at the Phoenix Open last month where he finished one stroke behind champion Brooks Koepka. What makes Palmer a good pick to win in this tournament is that he has played well in this event in the past.
In fact, he agonizingly fell short last season losing in a four-man playoff to eventual champion Russell Henley. It won’t be a complete surprise if Palmer goes one step further and wins the crown this time around.
