After a thrilling conclusion to the 2016 Northern Trust Open, some of the best golfers in the planet now shift their focus to the upcoming Honda Classic. It’s bound to be one exciting tournament, with 13 of the world’s top 25 golfers competing in this week’s event.
Who will emerge victorious and grab the $1.098 million top prize? Read on below as a bunch of experts sound off on their picks for this world-class tournament. While you’re at it, you can check out our sleeper picks and preview for the Honda Classic.
Sam Belden has made his pick and it is Rory McIlroy who he thinks will win the Honda Classic this year. What makes McIlroy such a good pick in his eyes is his excellent record here in Palm Beach. He won the Honda Classic back in 2012 where he held off the great Tiger Woods for a famous two-stroke victory. He came so close to duplicating that championship win two years ago, losing in a four-man playoff to Russell Henley. That experience will prove vital for McIlroy this coming weekend.
McIlroy will have his work cut out for him, however, as he’ll face one of the hottest golfers on the PGA Tour today in Rickie Fowler. He is fresh off a runner-up finish at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, losing in an epic playoff to Hideki Matsuyama. He now has nine top-25 finishes in his last 10 starts. Fowler’s record at PGA National is also strong, going four-for-six with a trio of top 25s. That includes a tie for seventh back in 2012.
U.S. Golf TV
Troy Klongerbo of U.S. Golf TV believes that Patrick Reed will win the Honda Classic this year. He has been playing some solid golf of late, grabbing four top-10 finishes in his last six starts on the PGA Tour. Reed tied for sixth in his last start at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, shooting a 12-under-par total of 275. The 25-year-old has had some success in this tournament in the past as well, finishing in a tie for seventh last year. In fact, Reed has never missed the cut in three starts here at the Honda.
That being said, it won’t be smooth sailing for Reed this coming weekend. The one man who Klongerbo thinks will pose a major threat to Reed this week is Freddie Jacobson. He’s one of the hottest players on Tour, nabbing two top-5s in a row at the Farmers Insurance Open and at Pebble Beach. Jacobson loves playing in this event as evidenced by his six top-30s in his previous seven starts here at the Honda Classic.
