The Irish Golf Club Gazette: TheHondaClassic

Showing posts with label TheHondaClassic. Show all posts

2/25/2016

Lowry Tops Honda Leaderboard

Shane Lowry signed for an opening round of 67 at The Honda Classic courtesy of a birdie on the 17th and then an eagle 3 on the 18th in the opening round of The Honda Classic in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. .

He shared a threeway lead in the clubhouse with Sweden's David Lingmerth and American George McNeill, who has missed the cut in his last five events and whose last competitive round was an 84 in the Farmers Insurance Open.

"It wasn't easy," McNeill told PGA Tour radio after a round containing six birdies, one bogey and a double bogey. "The wind always blows here, it was the opposite direction to what it was in the practice rounds and the pro-am and a little cooler.

"I putted pretty phenomenal, that's really all I did well. I haven't made a putt in two years so it kind of felt good! To see them consistently go in, I didn't expect to make that many, but it was nice.

"Being back in Florida I feel a little more comfortable being back on Bermuda grass and greens. The stuff out west, I have fits out there just because I can't read it and putt it there. Being back in Florida helps."

Out on the course, the start of Sergio Garcia's round was as spectacular as Lowry's finish, the Ryder Cup star holing his approach to the second from 148 yards for an eagle two.

The world number 19 then holed from six feet for birdie on the par-five third to move into a share of the lead, with playing partner Rickie Fowler a shot behind after birdies on the second and third.

3/02/2015

Classic Harrington Wins Honda

Getty Images

Padraig Harrington overturned a four-shot final day deficit to snatch a dramatic victory at the second play-off hole of a rain-delayed Honda Classic.

After bad weather had forced the tournament into a fifth day, Harrington, without a PGA Tour title since a two-stroke win at the 2008 PGA Championship, sank a 15-foot birdie putt on the 18th to finish level on six-under with rookie Daniel Berger and force a play-off.

The pair both two-putted the first extra hole at the 18th for par, before Harrington nailed his tee-shot at the 17th to within five-feet of the hole as Berger found the hazard. With the American only able to double-bogey, Harrington took two attempts from five feet to end his title drought and book his ticket to next month's Masters.

Earlier, Harrington had struck four birdies in a row to move in to the clubhouse lead, missing a 10-foot putt at the 15th for a fifth successive gain. The Irishman had lost his advantage with a double-bogey at the penultimate hole when his tee-shot flew into the water hazard, but sank a 15-foot birdie putt on the 18th to force a play-off.

Berger, nine shots adrift heading in to the final round, had fired back-to-back birdies to close with an impressive six-under 64.

Poulter, searching for a first stroke-play win in America, opened the day by rolling in a birdie at the 8th before missing an 11-foot putt for a further gain at the following hole.

Reaching the turn two clear, the world No 36 opened up the top of the leaderboard with a double-bogey at the 11th, finding the water with his second shot and then two-putting from 15-feet.

The Englishman was unfortunate again at the 13th when, from 120 yards, his second shot from the fairway bunker rattled the flag and spun away, with the resulting 15-foot birdie putt rolling alongside the hole.

Things went from bad to worse for Poulter at the next when, after taking a drop out of water following a wayward tee-shot, his third shot from the dirt ricocheting off a palm tree and ended back in the lake. After seeing his fifth shot fall in to a deep bunker, Poulter had to settle for triple-bogey.

With others faltering around him, Poulter ended positively with back-to-back birdies to end tied-third alongside British duo Russell Knox and Paul Casey.

Overnight joint-leader Casey picked up an early birdie at the ninth, before dropping shots with an eight-foot missed putt at 11 and a tee-shot into a bunker at 14. Needing to pick up a stroke at the 18th to move joint-leader, Casey played his third shot out of the bunker to within 20-feet of the hole but saw his birdie-putt slow up inches short.

Despite carding three bogeys in his final round, Knox ended strongly to post a two-under 68, while Jamie Donaldson made three late gains to finish a further shot back, with a three-putt from 50-feet at the 16th his only blemish.

2/28/2015

Harrington Takes Honda Lead

Getty Images

Padraig Harrington’s gruelling schedule at the start of the season looks to be bearing fruit after the three-time Major winner rose to the top of the leaderboard after the weather-delayed second round of the Honda Classic in Florida.

The 43-year-old Dubliner was four under and four shots off the lead of Brendan Steeleovernight after play was suspended due to darkness on Friday evening.

Harrington made a storming start on the resumption play, with back-to-back birdies on the 16th and 17th, the last two holes of the famous Bear Trap on the PGA National Course.

Another birdie came at the first before the first dropped shot of his second round came at the par-five sixth before a scintillating hat-trick of birdies from the fourth to move to nine under.

At that stage, Harrington was three shots clear of clubhouse leader Patrick Reed, but he would close with back-to-back bogeys and sign for a four-under 66 to leave him on seven under.

The second round was completed on Saturday after rain delays on Friday and the players will be straight back in action in the third round later on Saturday.

Ian Poulter’s impressive 64 moved him to within two strokes of Harrington and level with American Steele on five under.

Former Honda Classic winner Luke Donald, shot a 67 to move three strokes off the lead.

Graeme McDowell joined fellow Ulsterman Rory McIlroy in missing the cut after completing a one-over 71 in his second round to miss the cut by one shot on five over.

McIlroy to Miss Honda Cut

Getty Images

Rory McIlroy is set to miss the cut at the Honda Classic after posting a four-over 74 in a rain-affected second round.

In a round twice interrupted by bad weather, McIlroy carded five bogeys and just one birdie to move to seven-over, four shots outside of the projected cut. Beginning the day three-over, the Northern Irishman opened with a bogey at the 10th and dropped another shot at the par-five 18th after finding the water with his second shot.

McIlroy missed birdie putts at two and three, before making his only gain of the round by firing his tee-shot at the par-three fifth to within five feet of the hole.

The 2012 winner on the Champion Course then found the bunker at successive holes to card back-to-back bogeys, and added another at the last after three-putting from 50-feet.

The 25-year-old had arrived at PGA National full of confidence after victory at last month's Dubai Desert Classic extended his run to seven top-two European Tour finishes in a row, and was expecting another good weekend in Florida despite an opening round 73.

"I don't like missing cuts," the world No 1 said. "You want to be playing on the weekend, and I'm not going to be playing which is not nice.

"I guess after coming off a three-week break, I felt, I wouldn't say rusty, but just not quite on top of my game yesterday. Today I felt like I was trying to get something going and couldn't.

"Coming off three weeks off and playing in conditions like these, it sort of shows you where your game's at. I've just got to regroup and put some work in and get ready for Miami next week."

Failing to qualify for the weekend ends a run of 22 consecutive cuts made on the PGA Tour for McIlroy, who hadn't missed a cut since last year's Irish Open and has reached the third round of every tournament he's featured at in America since the 2012 US Open.

McIlroy will continue his preparations for April's Masters at next week's World Golf Championships event at Doral, before making his first-ever start in the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill a fortnight later.

2/27/2015

Padraig Races Ahead at Honda

Getty Images

Padraig Harrington fired an opening round 67, three under par, that left him in tied-third, two shots behind first round leader Jim Herman. “Even I was struggling, questioning and doubting myself,” said Harrington of the testing wind conditions which caused consternation for the majority of the field.

McIlroy ultimately displayed his resolve to overcome the elements in a round that featured two double-bogeys in his opening five holes to shoot a 73, three over. His round was rescued to a degree by birdies on the closing two holes: from 30 feet on the 17th, and a two-putt birdie on the par five 18th.

Harrington ended a run of three consecutive missed cuts to finish tied-56th in last week’s Northern Trust Open and to take some confidence into the first leg of the Florida Swing, but suffered a bogey on the second hole where he pushed his tee shot into a native dirt area and could only move the recovery shot some 30 yards into a bunker on the way to a dropped shot.

But that bogey served as a wake-up call for the three-time Major champion as he bounced back with a birdie on the par five third and sank an 18-footer for birdie on the eighth.

Harrington had struggled early on, missing four of the first six greens, but kept his focus to make the most of whatever opportunities arose.

He showed great battling qualities to reel off seven straight pars in the tough conditions from the ninth before hitting a superb approach from 200 yards in to three feet for a birdie on the 16th.

On the par five 18th, playing downwind, he hit a 340-yard drive, hit his 223 yards approach on to the green and two-putted for a birdie that put him into a good position.

“I found it difficult,” admitted Harrington. “But I holed a couple of nice putts and, on a windy day, when you do that, you feel you are ahead of the pack if you can make a few more birdies. As tough as the day was, I kept telling myself it suited me more than most guys.”

Harrington was well rewarded for his doggedness and perseverance, as he stuck to his task to roll back the years.

Graeme McDowell had a dreadful opening to his round with four bogeys in the first five holes and then suffered a double bogey on the second, his 11th. He salvaged something from the round with an eagle on the third, but it was more a case of damage limitation.

Not Classic McIlroy at Honda

Getty Images

Rory McIlroy endured a torrid start to the PGA Tour’s Florida Swing as he scrapped his way to a three-over 73 on the first day of the Honda Classic at Palm Beach Gardens.

The world No 1 struggled to get to grips with the blustery conditions at PGA National, losing a ball from his opening tee shot and finding water at the short fifth as he carded two double-bogeys in the first five holes.

The 2012 champion, who lost out to Russell Henley in a play-off last year, did manage to birdie the final two holes to limit the damage, but his main priority on Friday will be to make the cut rather than think about contending for the lead.

Jim Herman was the surprise outright leader after a commendable 65, the American being one of only two players to keep a bogey off his card in round one, while Padraig Harrington made a welcome return to form with a solid three-under 67.

Herman eased to the turn in 33 and picked up another shot at the 10th before birdies at two of the final three holes earned him a one-stroke lead over compatriot Brendan Steele, who mixed six birdies with two bogeys in his 66.

Harrington recovered from an early mistake at the second with birdies at the third and eighth and, like Herman, the Irishman also birdied 16 and 18 to round off an excellent day’s work.

The three-time major champion was joined on three under by Martin Flores and US Ryder Cup star Patrick Reed, who had only seven pars in a roller-coaster opening round.

Reed made three straight birdies from the third and added another at eight in an outward 31, but he then dropped four shots in six holes after the turn before further birdies at 16 and 18 lifted him back into the top three.

US Open champion Martin Kaymer was two over after five holes after starting on the 10th, but he birdied three of the next four and picked up another at the sixth to return a solid 68.

"It's not boring here, said the German. "Every single hole you have to think and be very creative. I enjoy it. It was a proper test. The wind was blowing from every direction."

Kaymer shares sixth with Ryder Cup team-mate Jamie Donaldson, who couldn't build on a remarkable start as he birdied three of his four four holes before dropped shots at the seventh and 10th halted his progress.

The Welshman hit back with a birdie at 14 and parred in to remain at two under, while Luke Donald, Paul Casey and Scotland's Russell Knox were a shot further adrift as only 19 players managed to break par by the end of the first day's play.

Lee Westwood holed his second shot to the 10th for eagle but then had a run of three bogeys in four holes and finished on one over alongside the likes of Ian Poulter and Phil Mickelson.

Sergio Garcia had an early triple-bogey on his card as he slipped to five over before recovering with three birdies in four holes to get back to two over - one better than fellow Gleneagles heroes McIlroy, Justin Rose and Victor Dubuisson.

3/04/2014

McIlroy on the Brink - Rob Lee

Getty Images

Rory McIlroy is on the brink of bringing his 15-month winless run to a close, says Rob Lee.

McIlroy missed out on the Honda Classic as Russell Henley secured victory in a four-man play-off, the Northern Irishman paying the price after shooting a four-over-par final round in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

The 24-year-old began the day two shots clear of his American rival but unravelled before striking a sensational approach to the 18th hole that gave him a shot at the title he couldn't take.

McIlroy subsequently admitted that he didn't deserve to win the tournament and Lee commended him for speaking so honestly.

World-class plus

"You've got to love Rory for telling it how it is - there's no covering up or clouding over the issues and he feels that he didn't play the golf in the final round that he would have liked to have played.

"Having said that, it really does boil down to just one shot: the one he made his mistake on was his second to 16 from the left-hand fairway bunker. He tried to hit a quite fancy six iron draw shot when the squeeze left to right would have been better.

"But he went with the flair six iron and found the water. It was bad decision making. He got himself out of position in the tournament but then his second shot into the 18th was fantastic - he had a little peninsular of green to aim at and it was unhittable.

"But he hit a fairway wood into there to give him a chance for the eagle and the win; the shot he hit was 'world-class plus' given the pressure he was under after having a nightmare for 12 holes. He missed the putt and lost in the play-off, however, there were lots of positives for Rory.

"He could have won in Dubai, where he had a bad final round and he could have won here, where for him he had a bad final round.

"But compare this to a year ago, it seems that week-in, week-out Rory is in with a chance to win. He's putting himself, in his words, into position.

"That's all he's looking for, really; he's going to have his fair share of conversions as we go through the year so wins are around the corner. It might even be this week at Doral because he's one of the guys that can really bounce back really quickly.

"He's finished second here so it's not a disaster. What happened to Tiger is a disaster - he had a bad week and pulled out with a bad back, whereas Rory lost in a play-off and will move on."

With the Masters starting on April 10, Lee told Sky Sports News that Woods' withdrawal was most likely to be a precautionary measure to ensure he doesn't aggravate his lower back.

"Given that he's playing at venues that he's used to, Tiger would have liked to have had won once or at least really contended - that really hasn't happened. His golf isn't where he wants it to be and he's playing poorly for him.

"He was five-over par when he packed in at 13. He said he'd been having twinges on the range before he started and they continued through the round.

"Perhaps it's a protective thing to ensure that he doesn't damage it any further. But something in the back of my mind tells me that if he was in contention and leading by a shot, would he have carried on? The answer is probably 'yes'."

3/03/2014

Honda Play-off Loss for McIlroy

Getty Images

Russell Henley came out on top in a four-way play-off to deprive Rory McIlroy of victory as the Honda Classic.

The pair, playing in the final group, both finished eight under alongside Ryan Palmer and Scotland's Russell Knox after a remarkable last hour at the Jack Nicklaus-designed PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

McIlroy had earned his place with a stunning approach to the last but faltered around the green when the hole was replayed for the play-off and it was Henley who prevailed with a birdie four.

McIlroy began the day 12-under-par, two clear of his playing partner, but both his birdies on the front nine were immediately cancelled out by bogeys.

He dropped another shot at the ninth to leave himself 11 under and it closed up further on the back nine.

McIlroy dropped another at the 12th and followed a double-bogey at 16 - where he hit out of a bunker into the water - with another bogey to fall out of the lead altogether.

Henley had pitched in at 14 for a second successive birdie but gave both strokes back at the next when he dunked his tee shot in the water.

Palmer bogeyed the last to fall to eight under and was joined by Knox, the Scot's double-bogey six at the 14th proving costly - but the pair were able to watch in hope while keeping loose for a possible play-off.

At the 18th, though, McIlroy produced a moment of magic to set up the chance of a fairytale winning eagle.

The 24-year-old's second shot carried the water and bunker in front of the green and stopped almost dead, 20 feet from the pin.

Henley responded by duffing his pitch on, leaving himself a 60-foot birdie putt which he lagged to within five.

McIlroy's eagle putt trickled just by on the right and after he tapped in, Henley also holed out to make the play-off and he kept his nerve to make birdie while his rivals fell away.

McIlroy said afterwards “I didn't play well enough to deserve to win today. It's very disappointing. It was a perfect opportunity to win. No one was really coming at me.

“There’s a few positives to take, but obviously it’s going to be hard to get over because I had a great chance to win my first tournament of the season and I didn’t.

“It’s tough to take at the minute but I’ll sleep it off tonight and get back at it.”

Earlier, world number one Tiger Woods withdrew after 12 holes of his final round due to back pain.

2/25/2016

Related articles

3/02/2015

Related articles

2/28/2015

Related articles

Related articles

2/27/2015

Related articles

Related articles

3/04/2014

Related articles

3/03/2014

Related articles