It is safe to safe that, three days later, the excitement has finally calmed down at PGA National. The pros put on quite the show this week as we saw a rare event take place late Sunday afternoon; a four man playoff.
Going into the final round, I would have bet all my chips on Rory McIlroy to bring home another Honda Classic win. In fact, I tweeted that I thought he should easily win by at least three strokes. Rory seemed to have all the confidence in the world heading into the final round and I honestly thought he was past his Sunday downfalls. Needless to say, Rory showed extreme regression, especially on the back nine, and hacked his way to a final round 74.
With the door open, the dogs leading the field did not shy away. Ryan Palmer, Russell Knox and Russell Henley all posted scores qualifying them to join Rory in the sudden death showdown. When all the dust settled, the young Henley stood alone, holding his second PGA tour win. I don’t mean to make it sound like Henley did not deserve this victory, as he golfed his brains out all week to fight for this win.
His signature shots included a par save from the water, chip-ins for birdie and hole out from the fairway for eagle, that even he did not think went in. The nickname for Henley is ‘The Human Highlight Reel’ and it could not fit any better. Russ regressed following his first victory last season, but I hope he learned from that and keeps up the solid play. He is fun to watch and plays with the intensity the Tour needs. Also, I would, and may, bet a lot of money that he will be paired with Jordan Spieth come Masters’ Thursday.
For the next stage of the Florida swing, the best in the world will shift their attention to Trump’s newly renovated stage at Doral. Since last season, the course as undergone wholesale changes under the ownership of The Donald, but all signs point to a great test ahead. The course architect, Gil Hanse, stated the changes are similar to when you arrange your living room. The horizon remains the same but the location from which you are forced to look at it from has changed, making everything a bit different.
Historically, this has been Tiger’s tournament to lose but he may be a non-factor this week, with continued back issues. We have always had star studded leaderboards where at the WGC-Cadillac Championship, including a top six last year of Tiger, Steve Sticker, Sergio Garcia, Graeme McDowell, Phil Mickelson and Adam Scott. A majority of pundits will look to Rory to bounce back from last week with a win here, but I don’t see it that way.
Give me Dustin Johnson. DJ has the perfect game to tackle this beast. His length off the tee is no secret but his consistency in this 2014 season is outstanding. He finished in a tie for 12th here last year and grabbed a second place rank in 2011. Johnson leads the tour in par 4 and 5 scoring, along with GIR; all categories that could catapult him to that win he has been so close to for weeks.Although he only carded 4 birdies last week, I also like Phil Mickelson to have a good showing this week, in preparation for Augusta. Hanse’s new course layout has showcased the bunkers, which have always been a strong point for Phil. Also, he won this event in 2009, so he knows what it takes to beat Doral.
Lastly, keep an eye on Kiradech Aphibarnrat. He looked strong here in the early rounds here last year and played well in a losing effort a few weeks back at WGC-Match Play. Aphibarnrat took Justin Rose to the brink and seems to have no nerves when the pressure is applied. He is of course a deep sleeper but could be fun to follow.
Will we have another four man playoff this week? Probably not. But, that doesn't mean we won't see some fireworks.
Bryan
