The Honda Classic is a PGA Tour golf tournament that has been taking place in Florida since 1972. In one of the longest-running commercial collaborations in world sport, Honda (American Honda Motor Company) have been the sponsor of this event since 1982. Today, as the first leg of the East Coast Swing, the competition carries a lot of weight with golf fans and bettors who love to get involved with Honda Classic betting.
- Best Betting Sites for the Honda Classic
- Honda Classic Tournament Structure
- Honda Classic Betting Odds, Promotions, Tips, & Predictions
- 5 Reasons to Bet on The Honda Classic
- Popular Honda Classic Betting Markets
- Honda Classic History
- Recent Honda Classic Winners
- Honda Classic Key Stats
- Upcoming Tournaments Similar to The Honda Classic
- Upcoming Sporting Events
- Honda Classic Betting FAQs
- ThePuntersPage Final Say
Best Betting Sites for the Honda Classic
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Honda Classic Tournament Structure
In a regular season, this event is one of the first East Coast, or Florida Swing, tournaments following golf’s West Coast Swing. Over four days, there will be four 18-hole, stroke-play rounds of golf, which will all take place at the PGA National Resort and Spa's Champion Course at Palm Beach Gardens in Florida.
The tournament is set to commence on Thursday 23rd February, where 144 competitors will play their first course of the weekend. The second day has all the contestants play their second round – a total of 36 holes per golfer played so far.
At the end of day 2, a cut-off is enforced – half of the 144 golfers are eliminated leaving the top 72 to compete in the final two rounds. On Saturday, the remaining golfers will complete their third full round on the course – followed by the fourth and final round on Sunday 26th February.
The total score over the four days is tallied, and the player with the lowest par score is declared the winner. In the event of a tie, a sudden death 3-hole match will take place to decide the champion – this has happened nine times.
Honda Classic Golf Course
The PGA National Resort and Spa’s Championship Course is one of the more challenging 18-holes in the PGA tour, which includes a particularly tricky back nine. Considered to be one of the most demanding 3-hole stretch on the PGA Tour, holes 15, 16 and 17 are known in golf circles as The Bear Trap, which can often determine the winner of a tournament.
According to official PGA stats, holes 15 through 17 at PGA National are the third toughest on tour among non-majors after Quail Hollow’s 16 through 18 and Pebble Beach’s 8 through 9.
This trio of holes, two par 3s and one par 4, all feature water hazards. Between 2007 and 2019, 543 golfers have played a competitive round at The Honda, 415 of which have hit at least one ball in the water on these three holes. That’s 76% of golfers falling foul of the bear trap.
Honda Classic Betting Odds, Promotions, Tips, & Predictions
The Honda Classic 2022 golf tournament is scheduled to begin on 20th February and end on 26th February. As ever, play will take place on the legendary PGA National Resort and Spa's Champion Course at Palm Beach Gardens in Florida.
Honda Classic Betting Odds
So far, the field of golfers hasn’t been confirmed yet – players have until February 18th at 5:00 pm (EST) to confirm their attendance. We’ll update this section as soon as odds are available for the tournament.
Honda Classic Betting Tips & Predictions
As the field of players hasn’t been confirmed, it’s all but impossible to make any predictions. That being said, here’s a list of players who are likely to make an impact – if they do take part.
Rory McIlroy
Currently ranked number one in the world, Rory McIlroy is still at the top of his game this year. The 3-time PGA Tour player of the Year winner has so far won one tournament this season – the CJ Cup in October. McIlroy is no stranger to the competition, winning it back in 2012 and finishing second in 2014.
Sepp Straka
The defending champion, Sepp Straka would become the 5th golfer to win the competition twice and only the 2nd to defend his title if he comes out on top. This is the young Austrian’s only win in the PGA Tour, so a second would be truly special – albeit unlikely.
Brian Harman
Currently 6th in the PGA Tour Money Leaders, Harman has had a great 2022-2023 season so far, finishing runner-up in both the Mayakoba Golf Classic and the RSM Golf Classic. A tournament win is definitely in the cards and Harman will want to get it in the bag soon. He also holds the current, joint shot record for a single round in this course – completing it in 61 shots.
Honda Classic Betting Promotions
Paddy Power's welcome offer is perfect for the Honda Classic – if you bet £20, you'll get it back as cash if your wager loses. This is ideal, especially as the Bear Trap holes have destroyed many matches for contestants – and punters who have placed a bet on them.
Learn more about Paddy Power's Sign-up offer in our comprehensive guide.
With a simple £10 deposit, newcomers to William Hill can enjoy a further £30 in the form of 3 x £10 free bets. It’s one of the more generous offers – perfect for punters who want to place many bets right off the bat.
5 Reasons to Bet on The Honda Classic
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All of the world’s best players will be taking part.
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It is one of golf’s most famous events with a prize purse of $8 million (£6.5 million).
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It takes place on one of the most famous courses in PGA golf.
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It’s a good form guide for the upcoming US Masters.
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Everything hinges on the Bear Trap, which has proved decisive on so many occasions.
Popular Honda Classic Betting Markets
Betting on golf has become extremely popular, with weekly events held across the PGA and European Tour schedules. In addition, odds on golf competitions tend to be highly generous when compared to other sports, even on favourites. Below, we have listed just a small taster of what the average golf bettor can expect.
Outright Betting
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This is a straightforward, uncomplicated wager. An outright bet is, quite simply, backing the player you think will finish the week as champion. Once you have decided on your Honda Classic pick, sit back and watch the tourney to see if your prediction comes true. No muss, no fuss.
Top 10 Finish Betting
- Another great golf bet type is to select a player to finish among the top 10 on the leaderboard. This is a particularly useful betting market if you like the look of a certain player going into the event, but have concerns about their ability to nail the big prize for whatever reason. This is a reduced odds market, as earning a top-10 finish is easier than winning a tournament, so the prices will naturally be lower.
Make or Miss the Cut Betting
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Making the cut is critical for golfers – they only get paid if they do so. Fortunately, it’s also good for all of us, as it generates yet another betting market for golf fans. Pricewise, there is a different approach required for both making-and-missing-the-cut betting. For making the cut, it is best to seek out a player who is relatively unknown – maybe an emerging young talent or rookie. However, for better value when placing a miss-the-cut bet, try and find an established name or big talent that is going off the boil. For the game’s biggest names, missing the cut is unlikely, but it can happen.
Hole-in-One Betting
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Hole-in-one betting is self-explanatory, requiring you to predict whether a golfer, any golfer, will land a hole-in-one during the upcoming tournament. Importantly, you are not asked to nominate a player to do this – all that matters is whether or not the fact will actually occur. Seeing as holes-in-one are extremely rare and entirely unpredictable, the odds on one happening at an event are, for professionals, around the 2,500/1 mark, so this can be considered a fun prop bet at best.
Betting on the Top Countryman
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The top countryman is a relatively obscure betting market to choose from – you can find value if you know where to look. The objective is simple: choose the best player from a particular country – countries with many competitors will have the best odds. Americans tend to dominate the PGA competitions – so the highest odds are found there. Some countries will only have a handful of players representing them – outcomes are more predictable, but the odds will be lower. It’s up to you to do your due diligence and find the best value.
Honda Classic History
The Honda Classic was founded in 1972, and was first known as the Jackie Gleasons Inverrary Classic. For those unaware, Gleason was a big name in American television at the time. This event was originally held at the Inverrary Golf Club in Lauderhill, Florida, hence its title back then.
In 1984, the tourney moved to the TPC Eagle Trace in Coral Springs, before moving again to the Weston Hills Golf and Country Club, where it stayed from 1992 through 1995, all also in Florida. In 1996, the event was held at Eagle Trace before the TPC at Heron Bay became its home for the five seasons between 1997 and 2002, the latter being the year it became called The Honda Classic.
In 2003, the event moved again – this time to Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, at the Country Club at Mirasol. It was hosted at the latter venue until 2007 onwards, when it moved to the Champion Course at the PGA National Resort and Spa from 2007 onwards. The move to this course was all part of an effort to get more stellar names on board, which became especially relevant as that was the year that the competition became a benefactor of the Nicklaus Childrens Health Care Foundation. This was named after golfing legend Jack Nicklaus, and is chaired by his wife, Barbara Nicklaus.
Only four players – Jack Nicklaus, Johnny Miller, Mark Calcavecchia and Pádraig Harrington – have won this event twice, a record which nobody has ever beaten. Nicklaus is the only golfer to defend his championship, winning in 1977 and 1978. The event was replaced for one season only in 1976 by the Tournament Players Championship, which Nicklaus also won.
In 2019, The Honda Classic was named as the Most Fan-First event of the year by the PGA Tour. The attendance of 206,384 golf enthusiasts in 2020 was the second highest in tournament history after 224,642 spectators attended in 2018. In 2021, limited crowds were allowed in, as the USA began tentatively allowing fans back into sporting events. The tournament was also pushed back two weeks from its usual end of February dates in the PGA schedule.
In 2022, history was made yet again at the Honda Classic – Sepp Straka became the first Austrian to win a PGA Tour event. Coming into the final round, Daniel Berger was first on 199 with four players on 204. However, he would end up finishing 4th after hitting 73, as Sepp Straka became the first Austrian to win a PGA Tour event when he beat Shane Lowrey by a birdie on the 18th hole.
Recent Honda Classic Winners
| Year | Winner | Nationality | Score (below par) | Winning Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Sepp Straka | Austria | 270 (-10) | 1 Stroke |
| 2021 | Matt Jones | Australia | 268 (-12) | 5 Strokes |
| 2020 | Im Sung-jae | South Korea | 274 (-6) | 1 Stroke |
| 2019 | Keith Mitchell | United States | 271 (-9) | 1 Stroke |
| 2018 | Justin Thomas | United States | 272 (-8) | Playoff |
| 2017 | Rickie Fowler | United States | 268 (-12) | 4 Strokes |
| 2016 | Adam Scott | Australia | 271 (-9) | 1 Stroke |
| 2015 | Pádraig Harrington | Ireland | 274 (-6) | Playoff |
| 2014 | Russell Henley | United States | 272 (-8) | Playoff |
| 2013 | Michael Thompson | United States | 271 (-9) | 2 Strokes |
| 2012 | Rory McIlroy | Northern Ireland | 268 (-12) | 2 Strokes |
| 2011 | Rory Sabbatini | South Africa | 271 (-9) | 1 Stroke |
| 2010 | Camilo Villegas | Colombia | 267 (-13) | 5 Strokes |
| 2009 | Yang Yong-eun | South Korea | 271 (-9) | 1 Stroke |
| 2008 | Ernie Els | South Africa | 274 (-6) | 1 Stroke |
Honda Classic Key Stats
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Three players have won by a 5-stroke margin – Jack Nicklaus (1977), Camilo Villegas (2010) and Matt Jones (2021).
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Only four players have won this event twice. These are Johnny Miller, Mark Calcavecchia, Pádraig Harrington and Jack Nicklaus.
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Jack Nicklaus could actually claim a third victory as, in 1976, he won the Tournament Players Championship, which temporarily replaced this event.
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The event has been won by at least one player from every continent.
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The full purse for the event is $8 million (£6.5 million) – with $1,440,000 (£1,166,200) going to the winner.
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The lowest scoring round in the tournament’s history is 61 shots – hit by Brian Harman in 2012 and Matt Jones in 2021.
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The winner of the Honda Classic receives 500 FedExCup Points
Upcoming Tournaments Similar to The Honda Classic
- 22nd – 26th March 2023, WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play: The first of four annual World Golf Championships, this is the only professional golf tournament in the set to be contested using the matchplay format. It will take place in Austin, Texas, just a week after The Honda Classic.
- 6th – 9th April 2023, The Masters: Held annually at the Augusta National, Georgia, The US Masters is the first of four majors and is also the most prestigious. US Masters betting odds are available all year round, so you can already place a bet on who you think will win the coveted green jacket.
- 13th - 16th April 2023, RBC Heritage: Another tourney where the winner is awarded a jacket, the RBC Heritage takes place in Harbour Town, South Carolina, and honours the game’s British heritage with a Scottish tartan prize on top of a prize-pool of $7.1 million.
Upcoming Sporting Events
Honda Classic Betting FAQs
The Honda Classic, often referred to as the PGA National, can be watched live and exclusively on Sky Sports in the UK.
Collectively, there is a whopping $8,000,000 (£6,500,000) making up the prize pool.
The course yardage is a cool 7,110 yards.
The par for this course is 70.
They don’t call Florida The Sunshine State for nothing. The weather this time of year is generally warm and reasonably dry.
Yes – this tourney has a cut and bettors will be able to bet on who makes it past this stage of the competition.
Yes, numerous! In 2021, Colombian golfer Sebastián Muñoz scored an unusual “hole-in-one” when his shot ended up in a wheelie bin.
ThePuntersPage Final Say
One of the main things to look forward to as we kick off the Florida Swing is The Honda Classic. As this golf betting guide has shown, this course and its infamous Bear Trap is considered to be the hardest non-major challenge on the PGA Tour, and as such can throw up a surprise or two. The aforementioned Bear Trap usually has a say in who will emerge from the event victorious. In fact, the par-three 17th is often the hardest par-three on the entire PGA Tour, and almost always makes things interesting.