Tag Archives: PGA National

Feb
26
2017
Rickie Fowler holds on and closes out to win Honda Classic
By Stephanie Wei under PGA Tour

Rickie Fowler began the final round of the Honda Classic with a four-shot lead. Hand him the trophy, right? Well, not necessarily. If it hadn’t been incredibly blustery at a difficult track like PGA National, with probably the most intimidating stretch of holes near the end with the Bear Trap — nos. 15-17, then, sure, it would’ve been a done deal.

But as one colleague noted, “I’ve seen this movie before,” meaning Fowler has experienced some scar tissue when he’s held the 54-hole lead and not managed to close the deal on the PGA Tour. The most recent occasion occurred at Riviera in 2016 when he led by a shot, but struggled in the final round and posted a three-over 74 to finish tied for seventh.

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Feb
28
2016
Scott holds off Sergio, manages Bear Trap, wins Honda
By Stephanie Wei under PGA Tour

I feel like this is a redux to the Super Bowl a few weeks ago, where everyone is likely watching the Oscars or having Sunday Fun Day and doesn’t really care about golf in February. Maybe? Maybe not? Okay, well, it wasn’t quite as exhilarating of a finish (or meltdown) as it was three Sundays ago, but it was a hard-fought, well-deserved victory by Adam Scott, who held off Sergio Garcia by a shot and posted a final-round even-par 70 to win for the first time since September 2014.

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Feb
28
2016
Watch: The Bear Trap’s latest victims, Smylie Kaufman and Shane Lowry
By Stephanie Wei under Humor

The Bear Trap, the stretch of three consecutive holes nos. 15-17 at PGA National, can get the best of players. We saw what happened to 54-hole co-leader Adam Scott on Saturday afternoon. I’m sure there were quite a few victims of those holes on Sunday, but the twosome of Smylie Kaufman and Shane Lowry were likely the most errrr…entertaining of them all on the par-3 15th. Just watch:

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Feb
26
2016
U.S. Ryder Cup potentials stage team-bonding dinner hosted by Jack Nicklaus
By Stephanie Wei under Ryder Cup

US Ryder Cup potentials

Well, that’s certainly a bit of a motley crew. Jack Nicklaus and his wife Barbara hosted a dinner for potential U.S. Ryder Cup team members on Thursday night at their home in North Palm Beach — not far from this week’s Honda Classic. 

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Feb
26
2016
Fowler brings confidence to Honda after breaking two course records last week
By Stephanie Wei under PGA Tour

Rickie Fowler is arguably the hottest player in the world over the last two months. Heading into the Honda Classic, he finished fifth at Kapalua in January and then lost in a heart-wrenching, emotional playoff against Hideki Matsuyama at the Phoenix Open for runner-up honors. He also won with an extremely strong field at the European Tour’s Abu Dhabi Championship in between that time. Well, he’s in contention again going into the weekend.

Fowler shot a second consecutive bogey-free 66 to take the early clubhouse lead on Friday at PGA National — so far, it looks like his lead will probably hold through the end of the day.

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Feb
25
2016
Everything you need to know from Thursday at the Honda Classic: Super Sergio!
By Stephanie Wei under PGA Tour

Sergio Garcia easily wins round one of the Honda Classic. In blustery, difficult conditions on Thursday at PGA National, Garcia managed to fire an impressive five-under 65 to take a share of the lead with Michael Thompson.

The course was certainly not giving up shots easily, but conditions actually calmed quite a bit late afternoon, so some players took advantage of the tamer weather. But PGA National sure showed its teeth in the morning, with the lowest scores posted being three-under 70 by George McNeil, David Lingmerth and Shane Lowry, who had a thrilling eagle to get there on the 18th.

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Feb
24
2016
Tidbits from Wednesday at the Honda Classic
By Stephanie Wei under General

It’s been a strange day, but not to worry, there’s plenty to report from Wednesday at the Honda Classic. I guess pro-am days are always kind of weird and things are rather hectic, and with so many players who live here, it seems like a lot of guys went to their private, super sick clubs to practice because the range was pretty dead today.

I have some fantastic tidbits on Jeff Knox, the Augusta National club champion who often plays as a marker during the tournament, but — this is mean for me to bring it up and then do this — I can’t share them because they’re for a story for a different publication. But I will say this: More than one player told me that Knox is by far the best putter in the world on Augusta’s greens.

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Feb
23
2016
Everything you need to know from Tuesday at the Honda Classic
By Stephanie Wei under Behind the Scenes

Greetings from PGA National this rainy Tuesday evening! Honestly, it was a relatively uneventful day — but that doesn’t mean you should stop reading because I still have a few fun tidbits of info — because it rained all morning and then again in the late afternoon, so not that many guys were around. The “big” names, aka Rickie Fowler, Rory McIlroy and Phil Mickelson, won’t show up until tomorrow when they have to play in the pro-am and do their pre-media requirements.

Perhaps it’s just me, but it didn’t feel like a “normal” Tuesday, where there’s more hustle and bustle out in the practice areas and more guys to shoot the shit with. I guess it’s been a pseudo-quiet day, but here’s what you need to know from today… Oh wait, we should probably discuss the Tiger Woods news that took a life of its own as I was flying across the country yesterday.

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