The Florida Swing of the PGA Tour begins on February 28, 2019 with the 2019 Honda Classic which will be played at the PGA National Golf Club in Palm Beach Gardens in Florida.
Several of the planet’s best golfers will be on hand for this $6.8M tournament. Last year, Justin Thomas beat Luke List in a playoff last year and JT is the favorite to win it all again this year. However, with a murderer’s row of heavy hitters led by Rickie Fowler, Brooks Koepka and Sergio Garcia hot on Thomas’ tail, we’re expecting an exciting weekend of golf with plenty of betting value all over.
Here are the complete odds to win the 2019 Honda Classic. Odds taken from 5dimes.eu as of 2/25/19:
Players | Odds |
---|---|
Justin Thomas | +495 |
Rickie Fowler | +930 |
Brooks Koepka | +1200 |
Adam Scott | +1400 |
Gary Woodland | +1600 |
Sergio Garcia | +1600 |
Webb Simpson | +2200 |
Cameron Smith | +2500 |
Daniel Berger | +3500 |
Billy Horschel | +3500 |
Luke List | +3500 |
Emiliano Grillo | +4000 |
Byeong Hun An | +4500 |
Alex Noren | +4500 |
Scott Piercy | +4500 |
Russell Knox | +5500 |
Lucas Glover | +5500 |
Matt Wallace | +5500 |
Michael Thompson | +6000 |
Kiradech Aphibarnrat | +6000 |
Jason Kokrak | +6000 |
Zach Johnson | +6000 |
Charl Schwartzel | +6600 |
J.T. Poston | +6600 |
Graeme McDowell | +7000 |
Russell Henley | +7000 |
Sung-Jae Im | +7000 |
Trey Mullinax | +8000 |
Sung Kang | +8000 |
Dylan Frittelli | +8000 |
Brian Harman | +9000 |
Martin Kaymer | +9000 |
Ryan Palmer | +10000 |
C.T. Pan | +10000 |
Talor Gooch | +10000 |
Chesson Hadley | +11000 |
Harold Varner III | +11000 |
Patton Kizzire | +11000 |
Jim Furyk | +11000 |
Kelly Kraft | +12500 |
Jhonattan Vegas | +12500 |
Jimmy Walker | +12500 |
Joaquin Niemann | +12500 |
Nick Watney | +12500 |
Kyle Stanley | +12500 |
Patrick Rodgers | +12500 |
Scott Brown | +12500 |
Chris Stroud | +12500 |
Bud Cauley | +12500 |
Brendan Steele | +12500 |
Brian Gay | +12500 |
Austin Cook | +12500 |
Who Are the Favorites?
Justin Thomas is the odds on favorite to win the 2019 Honda Classic at +495. JT bounced back from a debacle at the Riviera by finishing 9th in Mexico. He did that by closing with a 62 to tie his own course record at Club de Golf Chapultepec. He is the defending champion in this event and placed third here in 2016. However, he missed the cut in his only other two appearances here at the Honda Classic so there’s some concern.
Thomas is a combined -36 in his last three tournaments played and has placed 9th or better in six out of his last eight events played. His feast or famine history here at the PGA National Golf Club makes him a polarizing pick. But based on his current form, it’s hard not to consider him to win back to back Honda Classic tournaments.
Rickie Fowler was a dud at T-36 in Mexico last week but don’t forget that he’s just weeks removed from a victory in Phoenix. Fowler loves this event and is a regular here, having played every year here since 2010. He finished in the Top 15 in 2012 and 2013 and finally won here two years ago. Not to mention that he’s one of the top-ranked players participating in this year’s tournament. At +930 in the current oddsboard, it’s hard to leave a man like Rickie Fowler out of our list.
Brooks Koepka is a local product and is ranked behind only Justin Thomas in the 144-man field so you could say that based on the strength of field alone, he deserves to be among the favorites here. But aside from his T-9 finish in Abu Dhabi, he has started the year rather slow. And yes, he hasn’t exactly had the kind of success you would think here. In four trips to the PGA National Golf Club, his best finish was a T-26 in 2016. Brooks Koepka is priced nicely at +1200 but while his current form isn’t at all that bad, it’s neither great.
Adam Scott took the week off and didn’t play in Mexico after almost winning at Riviera. Aside from finishing T-7th in the Genesis Open, the Aussie also finished 2nd to Justin Rose at Torrey Pines. Scott loves this course and including his win over Sergio Garcia in 2016, he hasn’t finished outside the Top 15 in his last four outings dating back to 2014. Two close calls in a pair of high profile tournaments plus his consistency at the PGA National Golf Club makes Adam Scott a worthy pick at +1400.
Gary Woodland is also another consistent competitor in this event, having made the cut in each of his last six appearances here. Of course, he was runner-up in 2017 and was a T-6 in 2011. But it’s not just his form here that makes him a good pick. Woodland has finished at least 17th in nine out of his last 11 tournaments. These include a couple of 2nd place finishes at the CJ Cup and the Sentry Tournament of Champions. Woodland’s been playing well as of late and because he only has one victory in the last five years, he’s primed for a win. It could be here so at +1600, he is my dark horse pick to win this tournament.
I also like Sergio Garcia at +1600 because he may be playing his best golf in quite some time and he performs well at the PGA National Golf Club. Garcia was runner-up here three years ago and he’s never missed the cut in his last six appearances here, breaking the Top 15 a total of four times.
Justin Thomas was also the favorite in Mexico and he finished 9th via the backdoor. But without the Top 2 finishers in that tournament in Dustin Johnson and Rory McIlroy playing this week, you’ve got to like JT’s chances here. Aside from Thomas, I like a rested Adam Scott and a Gary Woodland who has been knocking at the winning door the past five years.
Based on betting value, I’m picking Adam Scott to win the 2019 Honda Classic.