Same event different venue for Honda Classic
IN: News | US PGA | The Honda Classic (2003) | Preview | by Bruce Young | 11 Mar 2003
Last week at the Ford Championship, it was a case of same venue, different name, however this week at the Honda Classic it is a case of same name, different venue.
After several years at the Heron Bay course the Honda Classic moves to Sunset course at the Country Club of Mirasol just outside of Palm Beach Gardens in Florida. The course is one of two at the facility and in fact the event will move again next year to the second course, the Sunrise course designed by Tom Fazio.
This year's event will be held at the Arthur Hills designed Sunset course and brings together a field that will include Vijay Singh, who returns from an injury break, Jim Furyk, Davis Love III, Jerry Kelly, Charles Howell and Davis Love III.
Australasians entered are Aaron Baddeley, Steve Alker, Robert Allenby, Greg Chalmers, Gavin Coles, Mathew Goggin, Scott Laycock, James McLean, Geoff Ogilvy, Anthony Painter, Rod Pampling, Craig Perks, Adam Scott and John Senden.
Finding a likely winner here is difficult due to there being no history of performance at this venue. Singh is an unknown quantity given his recent enforced break but he is the best player in the field and that must count for a lot. Jim Furyk always seems to play well in Florida as we saw again last week with his second place at the Ford Championship. Jerry Kelly played well in Hawaii early in the season on Bermuda grasses and has shown in the past that Florida conditions are no concern to him.
Of the Australasians, Pampling has had a good start to the season and showed last year at this event, where he came 7th, that the Florida environment is of little concern to him after growing up on the courses in Queensland. Despite the fact that he does not win as often as he should he seems close to acheiving something special in the US. He played well last week to be the leading Australasian and it would not be surprising if it happens again this week.
Adam Scott gets another start in the US following his great effort in California two weeks ago at the Accenture World Match Play.
Stuart Appleby, who won here in 1997, is not in the field this week.
