2023 Honda Classic Betting Preview, Predictions & Top Pick
This week’s tournament doesn’t have the huge names or ratings that we’ve seen on the PGA TOUR since the beginning of February, which is disappointing for golf fans who have been treated to a string of high-caliber tournaments on the PGA TOUR in recent weeks. The WM Phoenix Open, the Genesis Invitational, the Arnold Palmer Invitational, and THE PLAYERS all take place within a span of five weeks, which means that the 2023 Honda Classic at PGA National got the short end of the scheduling stick this year.
Therefore, while this week acts as a natural bye week for players who are able to set their own schedules, it presents a wonderful opportunity for players on the lower tiers who are looking to make their breakthrough.
This week, Tiger Woods and the 15 players currently ranked in the top 15 on the OWGR will not compete. The actual golf course at PGA National will be the most appealing aspect of the week, as it features a back nine known for dramatic conclusions.
Keeping in mind the 2023 Honda Classic odds, here is a look at all that you can anticipate this week in Palm Beach Gardens, FL.
2023 Honda Classic Preview
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Previous Winners of the Honda Classic
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- 2022: Joaquin Niemann
- 2021: Max Homas
- 2020: Adam Scott
Course Preview: PGA National Members Club
PGA National is a par-70 course that is 7,125 yards long, just short of the TOUR average. There are many forced layups from tight doglegs and tight landing places off the tee, making this course everything but your typical short, condensed layout. With only approximately 10% of approaches coming from within 125 yards, wedge play is practically eliminated from this course. For a course of this yardage, that is a fairly unusual distinction because it rewards the best mid-to-long iron players. Almost 70% of approach shots will be made from 125 to 200 yards, which is significantly more than the PGA TOUR average.
Relevant Betting Stats
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- Driving Accuracy
- SG: Ball Striking
- SG: Putting
Outright Betting Pick: SungJae Im (+1000)
Though I typically stay away from tournament favorites, these odds are just too long for what I see as the best player in the field by a wide margin.
He first won this competition in 2020 and then finished eighth in 2021, the cut last year with a 74 on Thursday. However, given the unpredictable nature of this course and the abundance of water hazards, we can overlook that as an anomaly. Im trails just Byeong Hun An and Adam Svensson in this field for SG: Tee-to-Green per round at PGA National and come into this week overdue for a high finish this season.
Not surprisingly, Im also holds the top spots in this field during his previous 48 rounds in SG: Tee-to-Green and SG: Total, with the second-placed Aaron Wise outperformed by .58 strokes per round. Im did not perform well last week at Riviera, but he never does, so we can comfortably go back to him this week at what seems like a somewhat too low price for one of the best players on Tour.
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