The Honda Classic | Second Round Preview
PALM BEACH GARDENS - First-year PGA Tour member Kurt Kitayama carded a career-low (64) and holds his first lead/co-lead after any round on Tour. He leads by one stroke as Rory Sabbatini, Daniel Berger and Chris Kirk each shot (65) in the first-round of The Honda Classic.
Kitayama opened with three consecutive birdies (Nos. 10-12) and made a career-high four in a row, playing (Nos. 3-6). His previous career-best Tour result was a T-17 at the 2017 Puerto Rico Open. Kitayama competed at the 2020 Honda Classic on a sponsor exemption and finished T-47.
Berger played his third bogey-free round at the event, tied for second-most since it moved to PGA National in 2007. The most? Luke Donald with four.
Chris Kirk is T-2 at (-5), leads the field in Strokes Gained: Putting (3.620) but entered the week T-100th on Tour in that category (0.030 per round).
2011 Honda Classic winner Rory Sabbatini is T-2 (-5). He opened with a bogey-free (65), his first bogey-free score in 37 rounds at PGA National.
The Honda Classic | Leaderboard After Round 1 (partial)
Kirt Kitayama 64 (-6)
Rory Sabbatini 65 (-5)
Daniel Berger 65 (-5)
Chris Kirk 65 (-5)
Note: Play at The Honda Classic was suspended at 6:33pm (ET) due to darkness with three players left on the course. The group of Chase Seiffert, Nicolai Hojgaard and Paul Barjon will resume the first round at 8 a.m. The second round begins, as scheduled, at 6:50am (ET) - in about 50 minutes.
The Honda Classic
COURSE: PGA National, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida (Champion Course)
ARCHITECT: Tom Fazio
YARDS/PAR: 7,125 yards/Par 70
PRIZE Money/First Place Winnings: $8,000,000/$1.440,000
DEFENDING CHAMPION: Matt Jones
PAST RESULTS: (link)
PAST CHAMPIONS: (link)
FEDEx CUP Points to Winner: 500
SOCIAL MEDIA: #PGATour #FedExCup @TheHondaClassic
TV COVERAGE: Coverage today from 2:00pm to 6:00pm (ET) on Golf Channel. Then, Saturday and Sunday, coverage is set for 1:00pm to 3:00pm (ET) on Golf Channel and 3:00 to 6:00pm (ET) on NBC.
PGA TOUR LIVE STREAMING on ESPN+: Streaming coverage will be featured on ESPN-Plus today with Main Feed, Featured Hole and Featured Groups from 6:45am to 6:00pm (ET). Weekend times TBA, depending on tee times.
PGA TOUR RADIO COVERAGE: SiriusXM Radio will have live radio coverage of The Honda Classic with today’s broadcast from 12:00pm to 6:00pm (ET). Saturday coverage on Sirius XM Radio runs from 1:00pm to 6:00pm and Sunday from 1:00 to 6:00pm (ET). PGA Tour Radio is available on Sirius 208/XM 92 or online via PGATourCom.
How to Watch: In case of changes, visit: (PGATourCom)
The Basics:
The Honda Classic Tee Times start today at 6:50am (ET) and go to 1:46pm (ET).
Weather: Mostly sunny skies on Friday with temps 70-80-degrees. Winds blowing at 11 mph. Only a 1% chance of rain. Saturday forecast if for mostly sunny skies while Sunday will be partly cloudy with a 20% chance of rain.
PGA Tour Brunch will post at 9:00AM (ET) on Saturday.
Next Week: Arnold Palmer Invitational and Puerto Rico Open
The Honda Classic - Field and Tee Times:
The Field: (link)
Update: Tyler Duncan (out) / Chase Seiffert (in)
Tee Times: (link)
What They’re Saying:
Surprise Leader Kitayama Shoots (64) - (ESPN News Services)
Kitayama Leads The Honda Classic (Associated Press)
Cut predictor at Honda (PGATourCom)
Inside Mickelson’s Challenge of the PGA Tour (ESPNCom)
Norman: Tour Acting as “bully” (ESPNCom)
Nicklaus: “I don’t think it’s right” (Golf Week/USA Today)
How to Watch The Honda Classic Today (Golf Week/USA Today)
On This Day in Golf History:
February 25, 1957 - Arnold Palmer won his fifth career PGA Tour title by beating Doug Ford by one stroke at the Houston Open at Memorial Park golf course. Six weeks later, Ford defeated Palmer at The Masters. - Courtesy of Randy Walker, Author of On This Day in Golf History, available via Amazon.com and by clicking HERE
Parting Putt:
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