The PGA Tour takes a turn over to Florida for the 2022 Honda Classic at PGA National Resort & Spa – The Champion Course.
A par-70 course over 7,140 yards, it is course that can catch golfers out with plenty of water hazards surrounding the course.
The BetDeluxe team has found all the players you need to keep an eye come the first round.
Im Sung-jae
south korea
The South Korean looks a genuine class above most players in this field and could easily follow his Presidents Cup young colleague Joaquin Niemann into the PGA Tour winner’s pen.
Im, at 23 years old, is the same age as Niemann and they both made their Presidents Cup debut at Royal Melbourne in 2019.
Since then, Im has scored victory at this very event having won the 2020 Honda Classic.
The victory provided Im’s maiden Tour title, he has twice finished third in the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, and he has a fourth place to his name in the Valspar Championship, so the 23-year-old has rapidly established himself as a force in Florida, where he typically revels.
Im’s experience and prowess around the course is a massive edge against his rivals despite his young age.
Only four players outscored him in round four on Sunday at Riviera in the Genesis Invitational won by Niemann, where he signed off with a 67.
This tournament is at his mercy if he can keep up his current form.
He deserves huge respect for this low-grade assignment.
Suggested Bet: Im Sun-Jae win at $12
billy horschel
USA
Billy Horschel is a live chance in the Honda Classic this season.
His vast improvement around the greens has him in tournament up to his eyeballs.
Horschel is second in the putting stats in the PGA this season – and also performing well around the fairways – so has become a dangerous commodity.
His reliability for strong tee-to-green form has continued to elevate as the year progresses and could make him a menace to deal with on a course that has plenty of hazards.
A fourth-placed finish here in 2017 shows us he is capable of performing at a strong level, but he seems to be chugging along much better now than he was back then.
Suggested Bet: Billy Horschel win at $19
matt jones
australia
Defending champion Matt Jones obliterated the field last year and has to be considered a winning chance despite his long odds to do so.
The 41-year-old Australian romped to a five-shot victory here in 2021, which demonstrated the quality of his A-game.
His top-class form was there for all to see over the weekend after a strong performance in the at the Sentry Tournament of Champions to start the year.
Jones closed with rounds of 62 and 61 in an jaw-dropping 23-under-par 36-hole burst for third place.
A closing 68 for 15th place in last week’s Genesis Invitational seemed the perfect pre-Honda tonic as he looks to defend his title.
Suggested Bet: Matt Jones win at $32
daniel berger
USA
He might have missed the cut at the Phoenix Open, but 28-year-old American Daniel Berger will surely have a chip on his shoulder coming into the Honda Classic.
Berger will want to assert his claim as one of the tour’s best after missing the Genesis Invitational in a bid to fully prepare and stay fresh for this attack at Florida.
The Champion Course requires players to be accurate on approach and no one has been more lethal than Berger in those key metrics.
Over the past 24 rounds, Berger ranks first among the field in strokes gained: approach and ball-striking.
Look for Berger to kick start his 2022 with a strong performance.
Suggested Bet: Daniel Berger win at $15
