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2020 PGA Tour Honda Classic Odds & Picks; Brooks Koepka & Rickie Fowler Among the Favorites

Michael Harrison

by Michael Harrison in Golf

Updated Apr 10, 2020 · 9:59 AM PDT

Rickie Fowler
Rickie Fowler is in search of his second Honda Classic title. Photo by Chris Breikss (flickr).
  • The Honda Classic from PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, tees off Thursday, February 27th
  • The field is not as strong as has been in recent years with Brooks Koepka the lone top ten player competing
  • We’ve narrowed down the golfers with the best chance of emerging victorious and provided the best value bets below

The opening of the Florida golf swing begins with the Honda Classic, the first of four straight PGA Tour stops being contested in the Sunshine State.

The famed PGA National golf course has cost many golfers with the infamous “Bear Trap” of holes down the stretch featuring multiple water hazards that have sunk many players chances over the years of this tournament.

Last year Brooks Koepka and Rickie Fowler came up just short to eventual champion Keith Mitchell, and both Koepka and Fowler return as the second and third favorites to win, while Tommy Fleetwood is the atop the board.

2020 Honda Classic Odds

Golfer Odds on Feb. 24th Odds on Feb. 27th
Tommy Fleetwood +1100 +1200
Brooks Koepka +1200 +1200
Rickie Fowler +1400 +1200
Gary Woodland +2200 +2200
Justin Rose +2200 +2200
Louis Oosthuizen +2500 +2500
Billy Horschel +2800 +3000
Viktor Hovland +2800 +2800
Sungjae Im +2800 +3000
Daniel Berger +3300 +3300

Odds taken February 27th.

Rickie Fowler Loves PGA National

If there’s one venue that can help Rickie Fowler add to his criminally low five PGA Tour titles, it’s PGA National, where he’s won (2017), and posted three other top ten finishes, including a tie for second last year.

The only caveat that is keeping him from being a slam dunk auto-bet this week is simply the fact that, as mentioned, he amazingly has only five tour victories, which seems insanely low for his skill set, given that he’s been out on the tour for over a decade.

However, with the field not being overly strong, this is a time to give strong consideration to Fowler at +1400.

Rickie Fowler’s Best Honda Classic Finishes

Year Result
2017 WIN
2019 T-2nd
2016 T-6th
2012 T-7th

Fleetwood Interestingly the Favorite

Tommy Fleetwood has put together a quintet of strong tournaments, with a victory, a pair of runner-ups, a two good-not-great results in his last two events, with T-11th and T-18th showings.

Perhaps mildly surprisingly he’s the favorite to win over the likes of Koepka and Fowler despite his recent play, given that he’s competed here just once in his career (albeit a really good fourth place in 2018).

He’s clearly a more than worthy competitor, but given that he’s yet to taste the winners circle in the United States and hasn’t played here often, I just don’t love the value at +1100.

Last Five Honda Classic Winners

Year Winner
2019 Keith Mitchell
2018 Justin Thomas
2017 Rickie Fowler
2016 Adam Scott
2015 Padraig Harrington

2020 Honda Classic Best Value Picks

  1. Daniel Berger (+3300): Runner-up at this tournament in 2015, losing in a playoff to Harrington. Quietly posted top-10’s in his last two events, with T-5th at Pebble Beach and T-9th at Phoenix Open.
  2. Erik van Rooyen (+5000): Comes into the Honda Classic in great form, just posting a T-3rd finish at WGC-Mexico Championship. Becoming more comfortable playing the PGA Tour, after posting a win and three second places finishes on the European Tour last year.
  3. Keith Mitchell (+8000): Not often can you get the defending champion at this price, but here’s a good long shot bet given that he likes the course. Couple of decent tournaments the last two times teeing it up (T-16th, T-32nd). Top-30 player in strokes gained off the tee this year, which bodes well at this difficult track.
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