Your new No. 1

Rory McIlroy knew exactly what he needed to do at the Honda Classic to overtake Luke Donald as number one in the world rankings. It was simple (and the same as a week earlier at the Match Play): win.

With Tiger Woods, who had teed off two hours before the last group, hitting heroic shots that created roars so loud the ground shook at PGA National, rival Lee Westwood also making a run, and journeyman Tom Gillis holding steadier than expected, Rory didn’t flinch. (continue reading…)

Rory all grown-up

A year ago on Wednesday at the Honda Classic, Rory McIlroy was hanging out at the crowded I-Bar — in the lobby at PGA National Resort & Spa where he, along with most of the players, stay for the event. Wearing True Religion jeans and a T-shirt with a Miller Lite in his hand, he looked like an average 21-year-old, mingling and chatting with some friends. Fans periodically approached him for a picture or autograph. He happily obliged the request. It wasn’t a bother at all. You would never guess he was the No. 8 golfer in the world.

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After Tiger Woods played in the Honda Classic pro-am at PGA National, next stop on his schedule? His favorite of the week! — the pre-tourney presser.  And it was certainly the most awkward and eventful — by that, I mean, amazing, amusing, greatest, best, etc. — one in recent history (I’m told even better than at the Masters in 2010). The tone and atmosphere were a little tense from the get-go. Probably because T-Dubs was dreading the inevitable questions on his reaction to former swing instructor Hank Haney’s upcoming book “The Big Miss” and the excerpts published on GolfDigest.com on Tuesday.

Obviously, we didn’t waste any time! (continue reading…)

Shuffling the list

About every 5-7 events, the PGA Tour does a “reshuffle” of the guys who earned their 2012 cards via the Nationwide Tour or Q-School in 2011. What the heck does that mean? I came across Scott Stallings’ blog post from a year ago and he does an excellent job breaking it down: (continue reading…)

Tiger signs up for home game!

Say it ain’t so! — Tiger Woods announced on Tuesday that he’ll play next week’s World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship, followed by The Honda Classic, March 1-4, and the WGC-Cadillac Championship, March 8-11. No surprise he’s competing in the WGCs, but this will be his first start at the Honda Classic, held at PGA National Resort & Spa Champion Course in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. (Okay, he played as an amateur in 1993 when it was called something else and held somewhere else.) (continue reading…)

Last Friday after the second round of the Honda Classic, Steve Marino hosted the first-ever Steve Marino Ping Pong Invitational, which was live-streamed on TourPlayers.com (if you missed it, you can go there to check out the full two hours and/or clips), at his home in Tequesta, Florida. Steve invited a group of his friends, including PGA Tour players Rickie Fowler, Dustin Johnson, Will Mackenzie, Spencer Levin and Cameron Tringale. The mayor of Tequesta even popped by to say hello and kick off the festivities!

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During last night’s e-mail roundtable chat about Rory Sabbatini’s victory, among many other topics, the caliber of the Honda Classic as a tour stop was brought up, which led to a debate over what kind of events we enjoy watching more — one where the field struggles or one where birdies flow freely. Of course, this prompted a West Coast vs. Florida swing discussion. Which do we prefer? Personally, I enjoyed the Honda (especially the commute, which was walking from one side of the hotel to the other), but it’s different when you’re covering a tournament on-site and when you’re watching it on TV from your couch.

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Rory Sabbatini has had run-ins with slow play, like the infamous Ben Crane incident in 2005, and other players, including barbs at Tiger Woods, branding Sabbo with the rap as one of golf’s biggest bad guys. Underneath it all, Sabbatini has a good and generous heart — he’s just been misunderstood (that’s just been my take), but last week at the Honda Classic, Sabbatini stayed steady and calm on the way to his one-shot victory over Y.E. Yang. We also discovered he’s encountered several scares that have lent him a new perspective.

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Graeme McDowell fired a six-under 64 in the final round of the Honda Classic, tying the course record and surging up the leaderboard to a T6 finish (not to mention another six-figure check).  McDowell has fared rather well on Sundays recently. Between his phenomenal 62 at Kapalua and his 64 at PGA National today, his final-round scoring average is 63.

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Jerry Kelly examines the picture taken of his ball lodged in a tree

When Jerry Kelly saw his ball headed left for a cluster of palm trees on No. 6 at PGA National, he said to his caddie, “I hope that doesn’t stick up there.” It did — Kelly’s ball (a Srixon marked with a green line) was lodged in the foliage about 30-40 feet in the air. Witnesses saw the ball fly into the tree and stop where it did (it was visible from the ground if you knew where to look), so there was no question that it was his, right? Not so fast. According to the rules of golf, Kelly, who is T2 going into the final round of the Honda Classic, must be able to identify his ball without a question of doubt.

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