Honda Classic 2018

DATES: February 22-25 SITE: PGA National Resort & Spa, Palm Beach Gardens, FL PRIZE MONEY: $6,600,000 Round 4 – Justin Thomas wins Honda Classic in playoff February 25, 2018 American Justin Thomas rolled in a birdie on the first hole of a playoff to out-duel third round leader Luke List and win the PGA Tour’s Honda Classic on Sunday. The 24-year-old Thomas posted his eighth win on the USPGA Tour and his seventh victory in his last 31 tournaments. Embed from Getty Images “It was another level of difficulty, not only the amount of people I was trying to beat, but this golf course,” said Thomas. “I am so proud of myself and how I played. When you get out of position you have to try to salvage par and that’s what I did. “I just stayed patient. I know what to expect, how tough it can be, and it feels good to come out on top.” Thomas closed with a two-under 68 to catch 54-hole leader List, who had a one-under 69. They both finished with an eight-under 272 total at the PGA National course. Sweden’s Alex Noren shot a three-under 67 to finish alone in third, just one…

DATES: February 22-25
SITE:

PGA National Resort & Spa, Palm Beach Gardens, FL

PRIZE MONEY: $6,600,000

Round 4 – Justin Thomas wins Honda Classic in playoff

February 25, 2018

American Justin Thomas rolled in a birdie on the first hole of a playoff to out-duel third round leader Luke List and win the PGA Tour’s Honda Classic on Sunday.

The 24-year-old Thomas posted his eighth win on the USPGA Tour and his seventh victory in his last 31 tournaments.

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“It was another level of difficulty, not only the amount of people I was trying to beat, but this golf course,” said Thomas.

“I am so proud of myself and how I played. When you get out of position you have to try to salvage par and that’s what I did.

“I just stayed patient. I know what to expect, how tough it can be, and it feels good to come out on top.”

Thomas closed with a two-under 68 to catch 54-hole leader List, who had a one-under 69. They both finished with an eight-under 272 total at the PGA National course.

Sweden’s Alex Noren shot a three-under 67 to finish alone in third, just one stroke back of the leaders. England’s Tommy Fleetwood placed fourth after shooting a 69 to reach six-under 274 total, two shots adrift of Thomas and List.

Tiger Woods fired an even-par 70 in the fourth round for an even-par 280 total to land in 12th place.

Thomas hit a beautiful approach shot on the only hole of the playoff as his ball sailed over a bunker and landed on the green giving him a long downhill putt for birdie.

His first putt stopped four feet (1.2 meters) short but he made no mistake on the second putt for the victory that will move him into number three in the world rankings.

American List got into trouble off the tee as his drive on 18 went right and landed in the middle of a small cluster of trees. His next shot sailed way left over the gallery and into the grandstand fence. He two-putted for a par.

“It is going to sting a little bit,” said List. “In a playoff, you can’t give Justin a par because he is going to hit birdies.”

Thomas’ final round was not without controversy. He tried to have a spectator removed on the 16th tee for heckling him and then had to apologize after the tournament for using a four-letter word on the green at 18 when he made the winning putt live on television.

“I feel pretty terrible and uncomfortable. Everybody heard that,” Thomas said.

Woods followed his 69 in the third round with a 70 on Sunday to finish eight shots back of the top spot on the difficult Florida golf course.

Saturday’s 69 was the first score in the 60s in nine rounds this year for the 14-time major winner, who returned to US PGA Tour competition late January at Torrey Pines after back problems.

“I made a big leap this week. I really hit it well,” said Woods, the former world number one.

Woods finished with four birdies, two bogeys and one double bogey on Sunday. He says his game and his problematic back are starting to feel good again and the key is to maintain his rigorous fitness routine.

“I played well this week,” he said. “Overall I am very pleased with the progress I have made.

“My body feels good. I need to keep it feeling good. I need to get back in the gym and keep it strong.”

Earlier this month, Woods told a Los Angeles television station that the extended time off, due to injuries, has given him a new appreciation for golf fans.

“I have been home a lot. I haven’t been able to move much the last three months. So many people have just wished me well,” he said.

“I have been away from the game for a long enough time that I saw a side of the public I didn’t know.”

Pos. Player To Par R1 R2 R3 R4 Total
1 Justin Thomas -8 67 72 65 68 272
2 Luke List -8 71 66 66 69 272
3 Alex Noren -7 66 75 65 67 273

Click here for full scores.

Round 3 – List takes lead, Tiger fires 69

February 24, 2018

Tiger Woods fired a one-under par 69 in the third round of the Honda Classic on Saturday, and said the first sub-70 round of his comeback gives him a shot at leader Luke List.

List carded a four-under par 66 at PGA National for a seven-under par total of 203.

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Woods, seven shots back on even par 210, insisted he wasn’t out of the running on the demanding course in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

“I put myself where I’ve got a shot going into tomorrow,” Woods said. “I’m going to have to shoot something under par for sure. If I can go ahead and post a number early, you just never know.”

The 14-time major champion notched his first score in the 60s in nine rounds this year.

In fact, it’s his first score in the 60s on the US PGA Tour since he carded a 68 in the third round of the 2015 Wyndham Championship.

Since then, debilitating back trouble had seen Woods largely sidelined. He missed all of 2016 before an abortive comeback bid in 2017 ended with spinal fusion surgery last April.

So far in his latest comeback he’s finished tied for 23rd at Torrey Pines and missed the cut last week in Los Angeles.

But Saturday’s round had him feeling optimistic.

“That’s probably the highest score I could have shot today,” Woods said. “I really hit it good.”

Woods who hit nine of 14 fairways and 13 of 18 greens in regulation.

“The hard part has been trying to get the ball to go in the hole,” Woods said. “These greens are a little tricky.”

Woods made his first birdie at the eighth, where he was in the fairway off the tee and struck his approach within six feet. The birdie putt him just three shots off the lead.

After he was unable to convert birdie chances at 10 and 11, he rolled in a 20-footer to save par at the 12th.

He drained a 14-footer for birdie at 13, but was in the rough off the tee at the par-three 15th and was unable to get up and down for par after his chip caught the fringe.

He missed the green en route to a bogey at 17, but rebounded with a birdie on the par-five 18th despite finding a fairway bunker off the tee.

List seized sole possession of the lead with a birdie from a greenside bunker at the par-five 18th — rebounding from a bogey at 17.

His second straight 66 put him one stroke in front of reigning PGA Champion Justin Thomas and former US Open winner Webb Simpson.

Thomas’s five-under 65 was a seven-stroke improvement on his second-round 72. Simpson, who also shot 72 on Friday, carded a 66.

“The course played a fair bit easier, not as much wind,” said Thomas, who had four of his six birdies on PGA National’s tough back nine. “I’m playing real well, I just had a little more to show for it today.”

Round 2 – Lovemark & List take lead, Tiger 4 behind

February 23, 2018

Tiger Woods was in the thick of things Friday after a one-over par 71 at windy PGA National left him four shots off the Honda Classic halfway lead held by Luke List and Jamie Lovemark.

Former world number one Woods, playing the third tournament of his latest comeback bid, shook off an early bogey with two birdies on the front nine.

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He had moved into the top 10 with five pars to open the back nine before his tee shot at the par-three 15th found the water.

He walked away with a double-bogey and surrendered another shot at the 16th, where his long birdie attempt went past the hole.

But he rallied with a birdie at the par-three 17th — the hardest hole on the course — where he found the middle of the green with his tee shot and drained his 12-foot birdie putt to a massive roar from the gallery.

Woods’s one-over total of 141 put him in a group of 10 players sharing 14th place.

List had posted an early target, firing a 66 for 137. He was joined on three-under by Lovemark, who carded a 69.

List had five birdies and a bogey in his four-under effort, which was the lowest round of the day.

Only 10 players were under par for the tournament through 36 holes.

“I’m really pleased with the way I played — a bunch of pars and just kind of hanging on,” List said. “This golf course is winning this week so far, and I think whoever hangs on the hardest is going to come out on top on Sunday.”

The leaders, both seeking a first US PGA Tour title, were one stroke in front of Webb Simpson (72), Russell Henley (70), Rory Sabbatini (69) and Tommy Fleetwood (68).

The halfway cut fell at five-over par, and those who missed it included defending champion Rickie Fowler.

Four-time major-winner Rory McIlroy made it after firing his second straight two-over 72.

Woods said his spot four off the pace put him “right in the ball game.”

“It was a good grind today,” said the 42-year-old 14-time major champion, who is vying to become a contender again after spinal fusion surgery in April.

“I feel like I’m right there. I’m right where I can win a golf tournament. Four back on this golf course with 36 holes to go? Anybody can win this golf tournament right now. It’s wide open.”

Woods had struggled off the tee in finishing tied for 23rd at Torrey Pines last month and in missing the cut at Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles last week.

On Friday, he found eight of 14 fairways and 11 of 18 greens in regulation.

After a 361-yard drive at the 10th, he missed a nine-foot birdie try. At 11, he rolled in a 12-foot par-saving putt and he got up and down for par from greenside bunkers at 13 and 14.

Pos
Player
To Par
R1
R2
Total
T1
Luke List
-3
71
66
137
T1
Jamie Lovemark
-3
68
69
137
T3
Webb Simpson
-2
66
72
138
T3
Russell Henley
-2
68
70
138
T3
Rory Sabbatini
-2
69
69
138
T3
Tommy Fleetwood
-2
70
68
138
T7
Thomas Pieters
-1
69
70
139
T7
Louis Oosthuizen
-1
67
72
139
T7
Justin Thomas
-1
67
72
139
T7
Daniel Berger
-1
67
72
139

Round 1 – Noren & Simpson take opening lead on windy day in Florida

February 22, 2018

Alex Noren and Webb Simpson defied difficult blustery winds to lead the US PGA Tour’s Honda Classic on Thursday as Tiger Woods said he was “very pleased” with an even par 70.

Noren and Simpson both carded four-under par 66 at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, where only 20 players broke par.

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Although he didn’t manage to join that group, Woods called it the best ball-striking round of his latest comeback, which has included a tie for 23rd at Torrey Pines last month and a missed cut at Riviera in Los Angeles last week.

“I’m very pleased,” said the 14-time major champion, who had three birdies, a bogey and a double-bogey.

“Today was not easy. It’s going to get more difficult because these greens are not the best. It was tough all around today.

“The wind was playing really hard, the rough’s up and it’s really tough to make putts out there.”

Nevertheless, Woods matched his best opening round in four appearances at PGA National.

His decision to play in Florida this week marks his first attempt at back-to-back tournaments since 2015 as he vies to become a contender again in the wake of spinal fusion surgery last April.

Woods teed off on the 10th and had two birdies and a bogey in his first nine holes.

At the par-five third he hit his approach shot into a greenside bunker en route to a double bogey.

“One bad hole today,” Woods said. “That’s the way it goes.”

He responded immediately with a birdie, splitting the fairway at the sixth with a two-iron and draining a six-foot putt.

“I felt like I had good touch, but more importantly, I made a lot of the key short putts for par,” Woods said. “It was really tough. Some of those putts were a little bit bouncy.”

Noren, a nine-time winner on the European Tour, who fell to Jason Day in a marathon playoff at Torrey Pines, grabbed the last of his five birdies at his final hole, the par-four ninth to be the first in the clubhouse on 66.

“I played quite steady my front nine, which was the back nine, then I just scrambled my way around the front nine,” Noren said. “This was by far my best putting and chipping round of the season.”

Simpson had three of his five birdies on the front nine. His last came at the tough par-three 17th, where he rolled in a 30-footer to bounce back from his only bogey of the day.

“I’m definitely excited to get a good round under my belt,” Simpson said

Former British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen of South Africa, reigning USPGA Champion Justin Thomas, Daniel Berger and Mackenzie Hughes were a stroke off the lead on 67, with Dominic Bozzelli, Jamie Lovemark, Russell Henley and Ben Crane tied on 68.

Pos.
Player
Nat
To Par
R1
T1
Alexander Noren
SWE
-4
66
T1
Webb Simpson
USA
-4
66
T3
Daniel Berger
USA
-3
67
T3
Justin Thomas
USA
-3
67
T3
Louis Oosthuizen
RSA
-3
67
T3
Mackenzie Hughes
CAN
-3
67
T3
Morgan Hoffmann
USA
-3
67
T8
Ben Crane
USA
-2
68
T8
Dominic Bozzelli
USA
-2
68
T8
Jamie Lovemark
USA
-2
68
T8
Russell Henley
USA
-2
68

Scores

Pos. Player To Par R1 R2 R3 R4 Total
1 Justin Thomas -8 67 72 65 68 272
2 Luke List -8 71 66 66 69 272
3 Alex Noren -7 66 75 65 67 273
4 Tommy Fleetwood -6 70 68 67 69 274
T5 Byeong Hun An -4 70 72 69 65 276
T5 Webb Simpson -4 66 72 66 72 276
7 Jamie Lovemark -3 68 69 68 72 277
T8 Emiliano Grillo -2 71 72 69 66 278
T8 Sam Burns -2 70 71 69 68 278
T8 Kelly Kraft -2 72 69 66 71 278
11 Dylan Frittelli -1 71 72 67 69 279
12 Tiger Woods E 70 71 69 70 280
T13 Derek Fathauer 1 73 72 71 65 281
T13 Dominic Bozzelli 1 68 73 71 69 281
T13 Adam Scott 1 73 72 67 69 281
T13 Thomas Pieters 1 69 70 71 71 281
T17 Lucas Glover 2 70 75 71 66 282
T17 Greg Chalmers 2 74 71 70 67 282
T17 C.T. Pan 2 71 71 71 69 282
T17 Tom Lovelady 2 75 70 67 70 282
T17 Scott Piercy 2 70 70 71 71 282
T17 Jason Dufner 2 69 72 70 71 282
T17 Rory Sabbatini 2 69 69 71 73 282
T24 Michael Thompson 3 76 69 70 68 283
T24 Tyler Duncan 3 70 74 70 69 283
T24 Russell Henley 3 68 70 74 71 283
T24 John Huh 3 71 73 68 71 283
T24 Louis Oosthuizen 3 67 72 69 75 283
T29 Rafa Cabrera Bello 4 70 72 73 69 284
T29 Scott Stallings 4 73 70 70 71 284
T29 Adam Schenk 4 69 71 71 73 284
T29 Daniel Berger 4 67 72 70 75 284
T33 Jimmy Walker 5 76 68 74 67 285
T33 Joel Dahmen 5 74 71 73 67 285
T33 Chris Kirk 5 71 74 72 68 285
T33 William McGirt 5 71 71 74 69 285
T33 Chris Stroud 5 69 73 72 71 285
T33 Sergio Garcia 5 72 70 72 71 285
T33 Nick Watney 5 71 71 72 71 285
T33 Roberto Díaz 5 71 73 70 71 285
T33 Aaron Wise 5 76 69 69 71 285
T33 Brian Harman 5 74 70 69 72 285
T33 Patrick Rodgers 5 72 71 69 73 285
T33 Harris English 5 71 74 67 73 285
T33 Ben Martin 5 70 71 70 74 285
T46 Scott Brown 6 72 70 73 71 286
T46 Stewart Cink 6 70 71 72 73 286
T46 Jim Furyk 6 72 70 70 74 286
T49 Shane Lowry 7 71 74 75 67 287
T49 J.B. Holmes 7 69 76 71 71 287
T49 Morgan Hoffmann 7 67 73 74 73 287
T49 Troy Merritt 7 71 74 70 72 287
T49 Keegan Bradley 7 69 72 72 74 287
T49 Gary Woodland 7 73 68 72 74 287
T49 Ryan Moore 7 70 73 70 74 287
T49 Peter Malnati 7 71 71 70 75 287
T57 Andrew Novak 8 75 70 73 70 288
T57 Michael Kim 8 71 74 71 72 288
T59 Vaughn Taylor 9 73 71 74 71 289
T59 Rory McIlroy 9 72 72 73 72 289
T59 Mackenzie Hughes 9 67 75 74 73 289
T59 Corey Conners 9 70 72 74 73 289
T59 Anirban Lahiri 9 73 71 71 74 289
T64 Ollie Schniederjans 10 72 73 75 70 290
T64 Hudson Swafford 10 73 69 68 80 290
66 Matt Every 11 73 69 72 77 291
67 Martin Piller 12 69 76 75 72 292
T68 Jonathan Randolph 13 72 71 77 73 293
T68 Tyrone Van Aswegen 13 72 73 73 75 293
T68 Kiradech Aphibarnrat 13 71 72 74 76 293
T68 Camilo Villegas 13 76 67 73 77 293
T72 Harold Varner III 14 70 74 75 75 294
T72 Jhonattan Vegas 14 74 68 74 78 294
T74 Martin Flores 16 73 70 76 77 296
T74 Ben Crane 16 68 75 72 81 296
CUT Patrick Reed 6 72 74 146
CUT Shawn Stefani 6 74 72 146
CUT Rob Oppenheim 6 75 71 146
CUT Abraham Ancer 6 71 75 146
CUT Andrew Landry 6 71 75 146
CUT Tyrrell Hatton 6 74 72 146
CUT Robert Streb 6 72 74 146
CUT Ryan Palmer 7 74 73 147
CUT Richy Werenski 7 74 73 147
CUT Cody Gribble 7 72 75 147
CUT Rickie Fowler 7 71 76 147
CUT Bronson Burgoon 7 74 73 147
CUT Bob Estes 7 75 72 147
CUT Ian Poulter 7 74 73 147
CUT Graeme McDowell 7 70 77 147
CUT Ted Potter, Jr. 7 77 70 147
CUT Brandt Snedeker 7 74 73 147
CUT Blayne Barber 7 74 73 147
CUT Talor Gooch 7 70 77 147
CUT Lanto Griffin 7 74 73 147
CUT Billy Horschel 8 74 74 148
CUT Charles Howell III 8 74 74 148
CUT T.J. Vogel 8 75 73 148
CUT Peter Uihlein 8 73 75 148
CUT Fabián Gómez 8 75 73 148
CUT Chad Campbell 8 71 77 148
CUT Sean O’Hair 8 74 74 148
CUT Retief Goosen 8 74 74 148
CUT Brice Garnett 8 77 71 148
CUT Robert Garrigus 9 75 74 149
CUT Ryan Armour 9 75 74 149
CUT Russell Knox 9 73 76 149
CUT Brian Gay 9 73 76 149
CUT Kevin Kisner 9 79 70 149
CUT Grayson Murray 9 72 77 149
CUT David Lingmerth 9 75 74 149
CUT Sam Saunders 9 75 74 149
CUT Keith Mitchell 9 71 78 149
CUT Cameron Tringale 9 77 72 149
CUT J.J. Henry 9 75 74 149
CUT Ryan Blaum 9 74 75 149
CUT Wesley Bryan 9 75 74 149
CUT Denny McCarthy 9 76 73 149
CUT J.J. Spaun 10 75 75 150
CUT Billy Hurley III 10 74 76 150
CUT Luke Donald 10 76 74 150
CUT Jon Curran 10 75 75 150
CUT Kevin Tway 10 73 77 150
CUT Andrew Putnam 11 74 77 151
CUT Seamus Power 11 77 74 151
CUT Nate Lashley 11 69 82 151
CUT Chesson Hadley 12 74 78 152
CUT Padraig Harrington 12 76 76 152
CUT Patton Kizzire 12 74 78 152
CUT Tom Hoge 13 76 77 153
CUT Brian Stuard 13 76 77 153
CUT Jhared Hack 14 75 79 154
CUT Stephan Jaeger 15 79 76 155
CUT Ben Silverman 15 78 77 155
CUT Xinjun Zhang 15 75 80 155
CUT Bernd Wiesberger 16 75 81 156
CUT Andrew Filbert 17 79 78 157
CUT Sung Kang 17 74 83 157
CUT Ethan Tracy 17 76 81 157
CUT Smylie Kaufman 23 83 80 163
WD Alex Cejka 74 70 71 215
WD Martin Kaymer 75 75
WD Bud Cauley 80 80
WD Danny Lee 65 65
Updated: October 6, 2022