Classy Korean Sungjae Im likes to keep himself busy – he is one of the most active players on the PGA Tour – and the relentless 23-year-old is teeing up again this week in the Honda Classic.
Busiest Man On Tour
Im, who has two PGA Tour titles under his belt, has made a habit of making incredible course debuts.
His Presidents Cup debut at Royal Melbourne in 2019 resulted in three-and-a-half points for the Internationals team, then his first visit to Augusta saw him finish second behind Dustin Johnson in the 2020 Masters.
This week, Im tackles a course he knows well – and has already conquered – so fireworks can be expected.
It was at PGA National two years ago that Im made his Tour breakthrough, a closing 66 delivering Honda Classic glory.
His record on the Florida Swing of the PGA Tour is incredible – and it is little wonder that he tops the Honda betting at 10/1. Im has twice finished third in the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill and he was eighth in his Honda title defence last year.
Niemann Chasing Back-To-Back Tour Glory
Joaquin Niemann was last week’s hero in the Genesis Invitational, opening up with back-to-back rounds of 63, then repelling Collin Morikawa and Co to triumph by two shots on Sunday.
The red-hot Chilean is clearly hungry for more glory, teeing up this week close to his Florida base, starting the Honda Classic as an 18/1 for victory.
Niemann will be able to get some rest in between his Genesis Invitational heroics and the start of the Honda – he practises at PGA National and knows it well – but it is asking a lot of him to maintain maximum concentration for another 72 holes.
Niemann partied on the plane from California to Florida on Sunday night, then said he continued the celebrations on arrival in the Sunshine State.
Can he get himself sharp enough for PGA National – one of the toughest tracks on the schedule? Time will tell.
Any mental errors at PGA National often result in a watery grave – the course has water hazards everywhere.
Hotshot Horschel Eager for Home-State Glory
The best value option on the Honda Classic card is arguably the 18/1 about born-and-bred Floridian, Billy Horschel, who loves teeing up in his home state.
He almost won the WGC at The Concession in Florida a year ago – and he has also performed well in the Honda Classic in the past. Horschel was eighth in the 2016 Honda and fourth in 2017.
This time, he has arrived at PGA National with his short-game in mint condition – Horschel is second on the PGA Tour putting stats – and that extra confidence on the greens could be crucial in getting him over the line in front on Sunday.
In his last two Tour starts, the 35-year-old has finished 11th in the Farmers Insurance Open and sixth in the Phoenix Open. Only one player outscored him in the final round in Phoenix.
*All odds correct at time of writing.