Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, degenerate wagerers of all ages… it’s time to place your bets for the 2019 Honda Classic.
California and the West Coast Swing are in the rearview mirror and Florida spreads out before us. The first stop brings the world’s best to PGA National and the “Bear Trap.” As far as tests of golf go, there was no non-major tournament in 2018 that punished the Tour pros like PGA National.
The government isn’t going to be giving you back all the money you deserve, so you’ll have to make up that loss somewhere. I can think of no better — or easier — way to recoup those losses than gambling.
"He thought he had jarred it."
Defending @TheHondaClassic champion @JustinThomas34 came close to winning in regulation. #TOURVault pic.twitter.com/Cv2pjR8puY
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) February 27, 2019
Here’s a look at your can’t-miss, no-doubt, surefire, mortal locks for this week’s Honda Classic:
The Honda Classic
PGA National (Champion) – Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
February 28 – March 3, 2019
(Courtesy: GolfOdds.com)
|
ODDS to Win:
|
|
| Justin Thomas | 5/1 |
| Rickie Fowler | 10/1 |
| Brooks Koepka | 12/1 |
| Sergio Garcia | 16/1 |
| Adam Scott | 14/1 |
| Gary Woodland | 18/1 |
| Webb Simpson | 20/1 |
| Cameron Smith | 25/1 |
| Daniel Berger | 30/1 |
| Billy Horschel | 30/1 |
| Emiliano Grillo | 30/1 |
| Alex Noren | 40/1 |
| Byeong Hun An | 40/1 |
| Luke List | 40/1 |
| Zach Johnson | 50/1 |
| Russell Knox | 50/1 |
| Michael Thompson | 50/1 |
| Lucas Glover | 50/1 |
| Jason Kokrak | 50/1 |
| Scott Piercy | 50/1 |
| Matt Wallace | 60/1 |
| Charl Schwartzel | 60/1 |
| Sungjae Im | 60/1 |
| Kiradech Aphibarnrat | 60/1 |
| Russell Henley | 60/1 |
| Graeme McDowell | 60/1 |
| Dylan Frittelli | 80/1 |
| Trey Mullinax | 80/1 |
| J.T. Poston | 80/1 |
| C.T. Pan | 100/1 |
| Patton Kizzire | 100/1 |
| Ryan Palmer | 100/1 |
| Talor Gooch | 100/1 |
| Harold Varner III | 100/1 |
| Jim Furyk | 100/1 |
| Brian Harman | 100/1 |
| Sung Kang | 100/1 |
| Kyle Stanley | 100/1 |
| Austin Cook | 100/1 |
| Joaquin Niemann | 100/1 |
| Martin Kaymer | 100/1 |
| Patrick Rodgers | 125/1 |
| Bud Cauley | 125/1 |
| Scott Brown | 125/1 |
| Brian Gay | 125/1 |
| Chris Stroud | WD |
| Scott Langley | 125/1 |
| Kevin Tway | 125/1 |
| Jimmy Walker | 125/1 |
| Brendan Steele | 125/1 |
| Stewart Cink | 125/1 |
| Sam Burns | 125/1 |
| Chesson Hadley | 125/1 |
| Kevin Streelman | 125/1 |
| Nick Watney | 125/1 |
| Jhonattan Vegas | 125/1 |
| Lucas Bjerregaard | 150/1 |
| Peter Uihlein | 150/1 |
| Martin Trainer | 150/1 |
| Joel Dahmen | 150/1 |
| Johnson Wagner | 150/1 |
| Danny Lee | 150/1 |
| Ollie Schniederjans | 150/1 |
| Jason Dufner | 125/1 |
| Kelly Kraft | 150/1 |
| Nick Taylor | 150/1 |
| Padraig Harrington | WD |
| Matt Jones | 150/1 |
| Chris Kirk | 150/1 |
| Bill Haas | 150/1 |
| Ernie Els | 200/1 |
| Anirban Lahiri | 200/1 |
| Harris English | 200/1 |
| Cameron Davis | 200/1 |
| Curtis Luck | 200/1 |
| Adam Long | 250/1 |
| Satoshi Kodaira | 250/1 |
| Hunter Mahan | 250/1 |
| Vijay Singh | 250/1 |
| Field (all others) | 9/1 |
Mortal Locks
Justin Thomas – Taking the favorite every week is getting boring, but I feel like I have to. When someone is a hot as Justin Thomas — not to mention the defending champion of the event — you’ve got to be paying attention. While 5/1 money is nothing when betting golf, it’s still (almost) free money. Bet the farm on JT at PGA.
Gary Woodland – One guy you might be overlooking this week is Gary Woodland. I know, I know, it’s way too early to really be looking at FedExCup points, but Woodland’s third-place standing says a lot about the golf he’s been playing. Sitting there without the benefit of a win on the campaign, Woodland has been the model of consistency, collecting two runner-up finishes and six top-10s thus far. At 18/1, that victory could come this week.
Best Bets
Webb Simpson – One of the more consistent players in the last four months has been Webb Simpson. Since the end of the FedExCup Playoffs in 2018, Webber has put together a string of six top-20 finishes. Not exactly setting the world on fire, but his steady performance suggests he might be ready to bust through. His putting is no longer a liability and at 20/1, Simpson is a great sleeper choice for the Honda.
Michael Thompson – Already a winner at PGA National, Michael Thompson is coming in hot and looking to continue to build on that momentum. Thompson has very quietly collected four consecutive top-15 finishes in his last four starts. If you like trends, then you have to like Thompson. At 50/1, you’ll be rewarded handsomely.
?️♂️ @webbsimpson1
?️♂️ @TheSergioGarcia
?️♂️ @MKaymer59?️♂️ Adam Scott
?️♂️ @TheBig_Easy
?️♂️ @kiradech?️♂️ @BKoepka
?️♂️ @GaryWoodland
?️♂️ @JhonattanVegas https://t.co/ULZvJ4eCMu— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) February 26, 2019
Fun Under $5
Graeme McDowell – It’s been a good long while since I’ve been able to pencil in Graeme McDowell’s name anywhere on these pages, but this week’s Honda Classic makes some sense. McDowell is finally (maybe?) healthy and is teeing it up at PGA National looking to get his game back on track. After a T-18 at Pebble a few weeks back and a T-42 last week in Puerto Rico, I’m willing to take a small chance on the Irishman at 60/1.
There you have it, friends and degenerates. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to find a flight to West Palm. I’ve got a feeling I’ll have another victory party to attend.
Until next time, friends and degenerates, go and choose wisely...
-Golfstradamus
