Just three top-20 players - Sungjae Im, Shane Lowry and Billy Horschel - will be taking aim at PGA National (Champion Course), when the 2023 Honda Classic tees off on Thursday morning in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
The first of four tournaments on the 'Florida Swing', the 2023 Honda Classic, in the final year under it's longtime title sponsor, in addition to a reduced prize money total for the winner, has lacked big name power in recent years.
A lot of the top golfers in the world choose to skip the 2023 Honda Classic, rather than bet on tackling a difficult course featuring plenty of water hazards, tight landing areas (from the tee) and fast greens. All, in addition to the occasional windy conditions this time of year.
Oddly, though the Honda Classic has been kind to bettors betting pre-tourny, longshots since 2019, including Sepp Straka, a 125-1 bet option before bagging the 2022 title.
Straka joined Matt Jones (2021, 80-1), Sungjae Im (2020, 30-1) and Keith Mitchell (2019, 250-1) as recent longshot winners at the Honda Classic. So, with longshots turning into legit contenders in recent years at the Honda Classic, plenty of golf bettors might even be seeing a trend which is too good to pass up.
And, this year's Honda Classic betting board, again, offers several longshots you should be keeping a betting eye on.
Here are 5 golfers worth a bet to win the 2023 Honda Classic:
Billy Horschel (30-1)
Horschel, who most recently missed the cut at the Genesis Invitational after finishing 32nd at the Phoenix Open, hasn't exactly been a safe bet on any golf course, lately.
However, Horschel, born and raised about 90 miles from PGA National in Brevard County, is still the second highest ranked player in the field. That alone makes him a valuable betting option in this spot.
Horschel, a seven-time PGA Tour champ, has two top-10 finishes (2016, 2017) at the Honda Classic, in addition to Top-20 checks in 2019 and 2022.
Despite missing the cut in three of his first four starts on the Champion Course, Horschel tends to play well in Florida.
I also like a good storyline and Horschel winning here would definitely fit the bill.
Matt Kuchar (25-1)
Kuchar, another Florida-born pro who does good work when close to home, has three top 10 finishes in eight starts this year, including an 8th place finish at the Genesis Invitational.
While Kuchar, who hasn't competed at the Honda Classic since 2011, might be short on experience at PGA National, his ability to scramble and save par, while playing mistake-free golf, makes him a smart bet to deal with all the water hazards this week.
Smart bet: Matt Kuchar, coming off a top 10 finish at the Genesis Invitational, offers plenty of value at 25-1 to win the 2023 Honda Classic. Photo Courtesy: Getty 📸
Harris English (40-1)
It's been either up or down for English, injured for much of 2022, before returning to missed results.
Yet, English, who carded a 65 on Sunday on his way to a top 15 finish at Riviera Beach, has fared well at the Honda Classic, with top 20 finishes in 2019 and 2020.
While it's his first time back at the Honda Classic since 2020, the price is too good here not to bet on English to carry some of the momentum into Palm Beach Gardens.
Shane Lowry (14-1)
Lowry, who let a big lead slip away at last year's Honda Classic, has missed three cuts and carded two top-25 finishes in his last eight worldwide tournaments. However, Lowry is still a major champion and worth a sprinkle at this price or something similar.
Webb Simpson (90-1)
Here is your super longshot, my golf betting friends. If this were a while back, Simpson, who has fallen on hard times on the golf course, would be one of the favorites heading into the 2023 Honda Classic.
Unfortunately, it's been a struggle for the seven-time PGA Tour champ. Still, Simpson, who has won a PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass, knows how to handle himself around difficult conditions, which the water- happy PGA National will definitely present.
(Note: Please bet responsibly and check your favorite sportsbook for updated odds on the 2023 Honda Classic.)
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