By TERRY LYONS

PGA Tour Brunch Coverage of The Honda Classic

Aaron Wise holds a 36-hole lead/co-lead for first time in his 88th TOUR start. Wise’ 12-under 128 marks low 36-hole tournament score since the event moved to PGA National in 2007 (129/Rory McIlroy/2014) and ties tournament record (Dan Pohl/1989). The (-12)-(128) also matches Wise’s career low 36-hole score.

Wise became the first player with multiple (64s) or better in the same week at The Honda Classic since the event moved to PGA National (Champion) in 2007.

First round leader Matt Jones (T2) at (-9) ranked 133rd in proximity to the hole (44 feet, 2 inches) in the second round after ranking No. 2 (25 feet, 6 inches) in R-1.

Brandon Hagy entered the field as second-to-last alternate on Wednesday when Kramer Hickok withdrew from the tournament. Hagy sits (T-2) (69-62) - (131) with Jones (61-70) - (131).

In 90th start on Tour, Sam Ryder (4th/-8) seeks his first pro victory. His (63) marked his lowest score on Tour since 2018 Shriners Hospitals for Children Open (62)-(R4). He shot four rounds in the 70s to finish T-53 in this event last year, his only prior appearance. Ryder’s best finish among eight career top-10s is T-2/2018 John Deere Classic; T-10/Farmers Insurance Open.

With a pair of (68s), defending The Honda Classic champion Sungjae Im sits T16 in his bid to join Jack Nicklaus (1977-78) as players to successfully defend their title in the event.

The 36-Hole Cut allowed for 68 players at (1-over)-(141) from a field of 144 professionals.

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Honda Classic Tee Times today at 7:25am (EDT/local) through 2:21pm (EDT/local). (link)

Weather for Today: Weather calls for partly cloudy skies, chance of showers and T-Storms, 50% chance of rain. It’ll be windy again (15-20 mph with gusts to 30 mph) for the weekend.

PGATourBrunch will be serving an early “BRUNCH” and posting at 8:00am EDT on Sunday.

Next Week: World Golf Championship - Dell Technologies Match Playand the Corales Puntacana Resort & Club in Dominican Republic.

Leaderboard After Round One at The Honda

Aaron Wise 64-64—128 (-12)

Brandon Hagy 69-62—131 (-9)

Matt Jones 61-70—131 (-9)

Sam Ryder 69-63—132 (-8)

Full Leaderboard (link)

THIS WEEK: The Honda Classic

COURSE: PGA National (Champion), Palm Beach Gardens, Florida

SOCIAL MEDIA: #PGATour #FedEXCup @TheHondaClassic

TV COVERAGE: Today, Saturday, March 20 and Sunday, March 21 - Early coverage on Golf Channel from 1:00pm to 3:00pm and the switch at 3:00pm to 6:00pm (ET) to NBC.

STREAMING: PGA Tour Live will offer streaming coverage of Featured Groups today and Sunday from (7:15am-3:00pm EDT), PGA Tour Live will stream Featured Holes on today and Sunday from (3:00pm to 6:00pm EDT).

PGA Tour is also offering its “Twitter” feed today and Sunday from 7:15am to 8:30am (EDT).

PGA TOUR RADIO COVERAGE: Saturday, March 20 and Sunday, March 21: (1:00pm to 6:00pm (EDT)) on Sirius XM Satellite Radio. PGA Tour Radio is available on Sirius 208/XM 92) or online on PGATour.com.

TOURNAMENT SITE (link) and Honda’s site (link)

March Madness Discount for your VERY OWN ⬇️ PGA Tour Brunch: (Our picks for Final Four are: Gonzaga, Alabama, Texas Tech and Illinois!) - Thank goodness we didn’t go with The Ohio State University who were upset by The Oral Roberts University.

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What They’re Saying:

Wise Has Honda Classic Lead (ESPN/Associated Press)

Five Players Who Could Be In for Big Weekend (PGATourcom)

Westwood Confident After MTC (PGATourCom)

On This Day in Golf History:

March 20, 1962 - Raymond Floyd endures one of the strangest routes for a third round tee time in the history of golf at the Tournament Players Championship in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. After finishing his second round the previous day and not expecting to make the cut, Floyd left North Florida and travelled to his home in the Miami area. After R-2 is completed on Saturday morning, due to the suspension because of darkness for remaining golfers the previous evening, Floyd is informed his (78)-(70)-(148) is good enough to make the cut.Floyd has to charter a jet from Miami to Jacksonville, then charter a helicopter for the 30-mile trip from Jacksonville to Ponde Vedra Beach and reaches his tee-time of 12:34pm with two minutes to spare. With no warm-up, Floyd shot a (70). (Courtesy of Randy Walker), Author of On This Day in Golf History, available via Amazon.com and by clicking HERE

Parting Putt:

Strange Days Indeed.

PGA TOUR @PGATOUR

No shirt, no shoes ... A human backboard. Phil thrills. All that and more in The Takeaway presented by @FedEx.

March 20th 2021

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