Ogilvy back to business at Honda Classic
IN: News | US PGA | The Honda Classic (2006) | Preview | by Bruce Young | 08 Mar 2006
The PGA Tour moves north to the Country Club at Mirasol for this week's Honda Classic where Padraig Harrington will seek to defend a title he won in 2005 in a playoff over Vijay Singh and Joe Ogilvie. Last year Harrington came from seven shots behind the third round leader after an opening nine of 30 had him breathing down the necks of those behind him on the golf course.
The field only has four players from the top twenty in the world.
The four-year-old venue at Palm Beach Gardens was first used for the Honda Classic in 2003 after moving from the Mark McCumber designed layout at Heron Bay at Coral Springs, which had been it's home for the previous six years. The Sunrise course designed by Tom Fazio, one of two courses at this golfing residential complex, is being used for the third year, with the Arthur Hills designed Sunset Course being used when the tournament first moved here. Interestingly enough however, the final hole of the Sunset course, will be used for the event as it is better suited to tournament requirements.
The PGA Tour announced this week that the Honda Classic will move to the PGA National from next year. The deal means that the Classic will finally have a permanent home through 2012.
Measuring around 7500 yards and carrying a par of 72, the course has TifEagle Bermuda greens, a grass type gaining increased acceptance in warmer regions. The grass first introduced in 1998 has fine erect leaves, accepts over-seeding well and maintains colour over a longer period.
The event has not been blessed with well received courses over recent years with both the Eagle Trace (1996) and Heron Bay (97-2002) courses copping their share of criticism from the tournament fields. It appears, however, that this may well be a venue that will help to overcome some of that negativity.
David Toms is the leading world ranked player here and unlike last week in Doral when they boasted nine from the top ten, here they have only one, which is Toms. Toms' recent form including a 2nd place at Doral last week and his 5th placing here in 2005 point towards a good week but how good remains in the hands of the golfing gods.
Luke Donald arrives this week as perhaps the second favourite behind Toms and he deserves to be considered. He seems to play well every week now and in his only start at this golf course he finished 21st in 2004.
Geoff Ogilvy has a great record at this event. In his first start in 2001 he finished tied for second at the previous venue - the Heron Bay layout - and since then he has been inside the top twenty three times in four further starts. He comes off a career changing win two weeks ago at the Accenture World Match Play. Last year he arrived here just two weeks after his win in the Tucson Open and actually hit the lead in the final round before eventually finishing 6th.
Harrington will bring fond memories of his maiden win on the USPGA Tour here twelve months ago and is playing well enough of late for another win to be less of a surprise than last year. He has played only three events this season so he might be short of a run but he could well feature again.
Davis Love III was 12th last week at the Ford Championship and of course runner up to Ogilvy the week before at the Accenture. He was runner up at this course two years ago and seems to be getting close to his first win since the International two and a half years ago.
Camilo Villegas has not taken long to show golf fans that is amazing record as an amateur when attending the University of Florida was no 'flash in the pan' and with the concerns of the re-rank well and truly behind him and full status on the USPGA Tour already for 2007, he can free wheel even more than his naturally gifted game already allows. He is a player who is destined to make quite a mark on the PGA Tour.
Of the Australasians other than Ogilvy and Allenby, there are one or two of interest. John Senden has yet to prove himself a winner but he continues to make steady progress. It would not surprise if he was to pick up one of his very few top tens on the USPGA Tour this week.
Kiwi Phil Tataurangi is back and his progress from this point on after a year or two in the injury wilderness will be watched with interest. He has played three Nationwide Tour events this season and has shown glimpses of what he is capable and while a cut made this week would be a great result it is good to just see him back in competition.
Aaron Baddeley, Nathan Green, Craig Parry, Greg Chalmers, Mathew Goggin, Stephen Leaney, Scott Hend, David McKenzie and Craig Perks all have starts here at this stage. Four years ago New Zealander, Perks, won the Players Championship in an absolute boilover and, with the advantage of a five year window of exemption, set about rebuilding his swing to provide a greater level of consistency.
Unfortunately in the last two years Perks has missed 37 of 54 cuts and must be wondering why he bothered messing with a swing that was good enough for him to win such a prestigious title. His fate is a lesson to many. If it ain't broke don't fix it.
