Ready to Drive
The Honda Classic once had a lowly, nomadic identity, both in location and spot on the schedule. It’s amazing, though, what the aura of history’s greatest player can do to elevate the stature of a Tour stop.
The Honda may still be the least-heralded event of the PGA Tour’s “Florida Swing,” but over the last few years, it’s established itself as a prestigious destination, thanks in large part to the participation of Jack Nicklaus.
The Golden Bear toughened up the host PGA National Champion Course, serves as unofficial host of the event and established the tournament’s link to its main beneficiary — the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation, which is chaired by Barbara Nicklaus and provides pediatric health care services for children in a five-county area of South Florida.
The venue is one of the best on Tour apart from the Big Nine (the four majors, the Players, the WGC events and the Tour Championship). PGA National has twice hosted the PGA Championship, and Nicklaus has added prestige and danger by putting his personal stamp on holes 15-17, a stretch dubbed the “Bear Trap” in honor of its namesake and its potential for disaster. Last year, the tournament’s toughest hole was the par-3 17th, a 190-yard tester that inflicted 99 bogeys, 36 double bogeys and nine “others” on the field.
Y.E. Yang earned his first career win at the 2009 Honda, a win that was the culmination of a patient, solidly played four days of golf. The 37-year-old South Korean became only the second player from that nation (joining K.J. Choi) to win on the PGA Tour.
“This is the biggest thing I’ve done in my career,” said Yang, who jogged to the gallery giving Hale Irwin-esque high-fives after closing out his one-shot win over John Rollins.
“After winning today, I realize that there's a bigger goal out there. I would like to see myself achieve bigger things.”
Of course, Yang would achieve much bigger things, eclipsing his Honda win later in the year by facing down Tiger Woods at the PGA Championship.
Last year, Yang survived a Sunday stroll around treacherous PGA National with his third-round lead intact. Two late bogeys on the Bear Trap added some late tension, but Yang nestled his 50-foot birdie putt on 18 into tap-in range, giving him a 2-under par 68 and a one-shot win over a charging Rollins.
Returning in 2010 as the defending champion, Yang discovered on Thursday just how tough the Champion Course can be. Starting his opening round on the back nine, Yang went out in 43, including a quintuple bogey 9 on the par-4 11th and yet another bogey at 17, on his way to an opening-round 79.
A second-round even-par 70 wasn’t nearly enough, meaning that the 2010 Honda enters the weekend without its defending champion but with a noteworthy leaderboard that includes Camilo Villegas — the leader after two rounds at 8-under, and Mike Weir.
Major Predictor
PGATour.com points out an interesting statistical tidbit about the Honda. Two players in the last six years have won the Honda for their first career win, then gone on to win a major later in the year: 2004 champ Todd Hamilton, who went on to capture that year’s British Open; and Yang, who broke through at last year’s Honda before staring down Tiger Woods at the PGA.
Another nine winners of the tournament have used Honda victories as precursors to major championship wins, including 2005 winner Padraig Harrington, while another eight Honda winners already had majors on their resumes.
