Honda Classic - Thomas Wins Eighth Career Title
SteemSports Presenter:@hogan22
SteemSports Editor:@scottybuckets
The PGA shifted to the East Coast this week for the Honda Classic at PGA National Golf Club in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. This venue is one of the top five most difficult venues on tour, regularly holding the winner to single digits under par, and this week was no exception. PGA National is famous for the “Bear Trap”, which includes two par threes with water on the right and bunker on the left, leaving players with no bail out - one of the toughest stretches on tour to finish a tournament
Alex Noren looked to gain as many strokes as he could in the first round, He and Webb Simpson both carded five-under par 66s to take a one stroke lead over five others at 67, including the favorite, Justin Thomas.
The second round brought tougher conditions to the field. With the wind kicking up to a consistent 15-20 miles per hour and the greens firming up, making it tougher to hold approach shots, the field average exceeded to a half-stroke over par. Long-hitting Luke List held his composure the best in the field, posting five birdies and only one bogey, finishing with a five-under par 66, vaulting him into a tie for the lead with Jamie Lovemark who carded a two-under par 69.
The third round found slightly friendlier conditions. Luke List matched his second round 66 to maintain his lead at the conclusion of “moving day” over Justin Thomas and Webb Simpson. Despite his four-over par 75 in the second round, Thomas posted the low round on moving day, accumulating six birdies, surrounding only one bogey, finishing with a 65.
At the beginning of the final round, six golfers found themselves within three-strokes of the lead. The plot thickened down the stretch when players entered the Bear Trap. With four players tied at seven-under par for the tournament, whomever navigated the Bear Trap would emerge victorious. Tommy Fleetwood faltered just before the Bear Trap, with bogeys on holes 14 and 15 to finish in fourth place. Although first round, co-leader Alex Noren played the Bear Trap two-under par, with birdies on both par 3s, his bogeys on holes 11 and 13 ended his chances prematurely as he finished in third place.
When Luke List and Justin Thomas both navigated the Bear Trap, unscathed with three pars each, they looked to make one last surge on the par five final hole. After both players drives, List gave it a go from 235 yards in the fairway, landing it on the green and resting on the green for a 35 foot eagle putt. Thomas took a more conventional approach, after missing the fairway, laying up to 115 yards. He, then, hit his approach to three feet, almost holing out for eagle. List had a chance to win the tournament with his eagle putt but failed to convert, tapping in for birdie. Thomas also cleaned up three foot birdie putt after his spectacular approach to bring the tournament to sudden death.
Thomas drove first and hit his drive inches from the rough, giving him an opportunity to go for the green in two while List blocked his drive right into the trees. List punched out across the fairway into the grand stands but had a clean shot to the green awaiting. Thomas, on the other hand, took dead aim at the green and executed a spectacular shot that finished resting 35 feet from the hole for eagle. List hit his 125 yard wedge dead at the pin but released 17 feet past the hole. Thomas attempted his eagle putt, failing to convert but putting himself within tap in range for birdie. List had one last chance to send the match into a second playoff hole but failed to convert, missing his putt left. Thomas was able to tap in to claim his seventh victory in the past two years and eighth of his career.
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