The Honda Classic 2021: Schedule, Venue, Where to Watch, Top Contenders, Rankings, and More

The PGA Tour is jam-packed this season and the golfers have very little time in between tournaments. We just saw the conclusion of The 2021 Players Championship, and what follows is The Honda Classic, a highly competitive tournament with a $7 million purse that will take place in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. 

When and where is The Honda Classic taking place in 2021?

The 2021 edition of The Honda Classic will take place from March 18-21. This is usually the time frame when the event is held in Florida. As for the venue, the tournament has been played at the PGA National Resort and Spa, (Champion Course) since 2007. 

As for the layout, the PGA National is a Par 70 course and is 7,125 yards long. It has been ranked one of the hardest courses on the PGA Tour and that should tell you how competitive this tournament can get. 

The layout also has a special section called the ‘Bear Trap.’ This comprises a trifecta of holes (15,16, and 17) in a  water-soaked stretch. This segment alone is the hardest on the entire course and the tournament is usually won or lost in this stretch. 

How to follow The Honda Classic on television

Thursday, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. (Golf Channel/PGA Tour Live Freeview)

Thursday-Friday, 2 p.m.-6 p.m. ET (Golf Channel)

Saturday, 1 p.m.-3 p.m. (Golf Channel)

Saturday, 3 p.m.-6 p.m. (NBC)

Sunday, 1 p.m.-3 p.m. (Golf Channel)

Sunday, 3 p.m.-6 p.m. (NBC)

What is the PGA National course record? 

The 72-hole record at the PGA National was set by Justin Leonard in 2003 with an aggregate score of 264. 

As for the 18-hole leader, Brian Harman achieved the feat with a 9-under 61 during Round 2 at the 2012 Honda Classic Event. 

Who is the defending champion?

South Korea’s SungJae Im is the defending champion at The Honda Classic. He won the 2020 edition which began on March 3 with an aggregate score of 274. He shot a final-round four-under 66 to secure his first PGA Tour win. 

SungJae also became the seventh South Korean to win on the tour when he finished one stroke ahead of Mackenzie Hughes in 2020. 

However, there is massive pressure this time on SungJae. History tells us that nobody except Jack Nicklaus (1977-78) has won the tournament in consecutive years. 

Notable list of participants this year at The Honda Classic

The Honda Classic always finds top names on the tour trying their luck at the PGA National every year. Likewise, there are some top names that will enter the field this year. 

Previous winners like Keith Mitchell (2019), Rickie Fowler (2017), and Adam Scott (2016) will try to clinch their second Honda Classic crown in 2021, while two-time winner Padraig Harrington will take part on a Sponsor Exemption. 

Other notable names on the list include Daniel Berger, Sungjae Im, Lee Westwood, Adam Scott, Joaquin Niemann, Shane Lowry, Phil Mickelson, and Mackenzie Hughes.

The winner of The Honda Classic in 2021 will take home a prize money of $1.26 million. Daniel Berger and Lee Westwood are the early favorites to win this event.

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