When the PGA Tour basically screwed over one of its longest-running sponsors, said sponsor needs the few big names showing up at its event to come through.
Some great weather is a must.
The good folks at Honda were able to exhale a bit on Thursday at sunny PGA National.
It was an awesome day in north Palm Beach County — plenty of sunshine, 80 degrees, just a trace of wind. Welcome to Florida. The old saying goes that CALIF isn’t short for California, it’s an acronym for Come And Live In Florida.
Along with great weather, the few big names who showed up this week at the Honda Classic did their share during Thursday’s first round.
World No. 4 Brooks Koepka got out early. He played the back nine first and found himself a couple strokes under par until he pulled a seven-iron at the 14th and made bogey. As he entered the “Bear Trap” holes, he pulled another seven-iron for his tee shot at the sweat-inducing 15th, a par three where you better hit a good tee shot. “I thought I hit it good there,” Koepka said. He was fooled. A little puff of wind got him and his tee-ball got rinsed. He’d walk off with a double but bounced back with birdies at 16 and 18 to get back to one-under at the turn.
Two more birdies coming in and Brooks was in with 67, just three back of solo leader Jhonny Vegas.
“I actually made one bad swing,” Koepka said afterward. “I putted a lot better. That’s what I’ve been trying to work on.” That work paid off, he used it just 25 times on day one.
It’s a home game for Koepka, which should give attendance a boost. But home games also have a downside. “Everyone wants to go out to dinner, everyone shows up at your house,” Koepka said with a wry smile.
Rickie Fowler and Justin Thomas would go out in the afternoon.
Each had a “Koepka” moment but each was able to deliver a good round by day’s end.
Rickie got his round going fast, two-under through four but the sixth hole was his disaster for the day, a common theme among the three.
He pull-hooked his tee shot into the water, took his drop, a proper knee-height one this time, then pull-hooked his third into the water again. He’d end up with a triple-bogey seven.
“That’s three straight tournaments with a triple, not too happy about it, but one of them being that we got a win at Phoenix, and nice to actually get it out of the way early here this week. I’m definitely happy with how I started, 2-under through 4, and gave me some cushion for the triple. I was only 1-over after that. To birdie 9, turn even, knew I was in a good spot, just had to get things going the right direction, and didn’t drive it particularly well early on. The drive on 6 really wasn’t that far off, but it ends up in the water,” Rickie said after his round of 67.
“Really from, I think, 13 on, I started playing nice,” he continued. “I hit some good drives, got myself some looks at birdies, and then the iron shot on 17 was awesome. To get myself up there in two on 18, make birdie at the final to post 3-under, I’m happy with that, especially like I mentioned, after having the triple on the card early.”
After making the turn four-under, it looked like J.T. might well end up as the first round leader. But his back nine troubles started when he drove it behind a tree at the par four 10th.
J.T. recounted it afterward.
“I didn’t hit a great drive, but I knew with that left pin, if I missed it in the right rough I had a good angle, but obviously kind of being behind a tree got a little stymied there, and I thought the way the club (his 9-iron) was going to hit the tree it was just going to break, and being at home, I was like, all right, I just have to avoid a 9-iron the rest of the day. But it didn’t break, it hit kind of near the hosel and just kind of sent a little shock up my arm. I was talking about it with Rick, I think it’s like a baseball bat that doesn’t break, just kind of the resistance goes back into the club. Just kind of ice my wrist a little bit tonight. It’ll be fine, but I think it was just more of a shock than anything.”
Later that nine Thomas joined the “in the water club” at 15 then made a sloppy bogey at 16.
“I mean, you know you’re always going to get a stretch out here that’s difficult or you can potentially have an over-par round out here,” he explained. “So to feel like I gave quite a few back today and to shoot 2-under par around this golf course is great. So try to go home and get some rest and see if we can get it going tomorrow.”
Thomas’ 68 kept a title defense in the picture.
At day’s end, it was mission-accomplished for Koepka, Fowler and Thomas.
Good rounds despite bad holes.
There was a lot of that going on at the Honda Thursday.
A lot.
