The Honda Classic in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida begins tomorrow morning, and, with a short field, this tournament could be anyone’s. Brooks Koepka, Louis Oosthuizen, and Sungjae Im are the headliners of the event, but picking any of them three to win would not be enough fun. Last week after the first round of the Genesis Invitational, I predicted that Collin Morikawa and Cameron Young would be two of the most likely golfers to chase down Joaquin Niemann. Although Morikawa and Young ended up in a tie for second, the Chilean was just too far out of reach for either of the Americans to catch him on Sunday. Now, at a very difficult course in PGA National, I am expecting Niemann’s fellow countryman to contend as one of my three picks.
Mito Pereira
Mito Pereira may not be as well-known on the PGA Tour as Niemann, but the 26-year-old made a name for himself on a world stage at the Tokyo Olympics last year. Pereira finished in a tie for fourth with Morikawa, proving he has the ability to compete with the very best that golf has to offer. Now, with less of the top competition competing in Florida, there is no reason that Pereira cannot build on the Chilean momentum and compete on Sunday.
Brian Harman
This pick may be a little biased, as I am always partial to my fellow lefties, but Harman has the type of consistency that is necessary to compete at a place like PGA National where there are sure to be windy conditions. As he stands at 5’-7” and is a graduate of the University of Georgia Harman’s demeanor on the course is reminiscent of a bulldog; he is seemingly confident no matter the circumstances. After a very solid 2021, Harman is going to be hungry for more this season, and with a shorter field he will see The Honda Classic as a chance to win his first PGA event since 2017.
Russell Knox
My last pick here may be my favorite, as the Scot has all of the tools in his bag to pull off a victory in Palm Beach Gardens. As PGA National is an extremely difficult course with hazards littered throughout every hole, good drives are going to be imperative all week. Knox is one of the most accurate drivers on tour, and with a good enough short game he should be able to avoid bogeys whereas much of his competition will likely put up some big numbers on their scorecard.
In tournaments where birdies are difficult to come by, I prefer golfers with a consistent game, both physically and mentally. All of these players have shown great composure on the course to go along with their strong overall games, so look out for Pereira, Harman, and Knox in Florida this week.
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