Honda Classic 2015: Analyzing Top Storylines from Tough Test at PGA National
Padraig Harrington won for the first time on the PGA Tour since 2008 on Monday at the Honda Classic, besting unheralded youngster Daniel Berger in a playoff to claim victory at PGA National.
For a golfer who has three major championships on his resume, Harrington has taken quite the tumble in recent years. Self-admitted yips with the putter and perhaps too much tinkering to his game saw Harrington plummet in the world rankings.
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All of the hard work and perseverance paid off for Harrington, who showed signs of returning to form by winning in Asia this last December—his first tournament triumph of any kind since 2010.
While Harrington will deservedly garner a lot of headlines given his decorated career and recent resurgence, below is a closer look at Harrington and other storylines that emanated from Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
Padraig Personified
A plodding, precise performance was only fitting for Harrington.
Perhaps no one grinds more over every shot than Harrington has at the apex of his career, but that laser-precise focus—during which he's been known to rarely so much as bat an eye—has been lacking as of late.
No one could doubt the Irishman's work ethic, though. The following tweet from Golf.com's Eamon Lynch captures the essence of Harrington as a golfer perfectly:
Harrington was back on his prime grind on Monday when scoring was most challenging. A water-bound ball at the par-three 17th hole led to a double bogey, as Berger sat in the clubhouse, watching as the leaders all stumbled down the stretch.
Even Harrington wasn't so sure he'd manage to battle back:
The rookie Berger would be denied an early trip to the winner's circle, though.
Harrington's wedge shot, which settled about 15 feet from the cup on the par-five closing hole, left him with a chance to tie and force a playoff.
Golf Channel commentator Roger Maltbie spoke about how tough the read was. The 43-year-old Harrington was undeterred by those unheard words and buried it in the heart of the hole, raising his fist in subdued celebration because he knew the job wasn't done just yet.
Two misses for birdie followed for Harrington and Berger on that same 18th green, and after Harrington was victimized by the brutal 17th in regulation, it was Berger's turn to find the drink on the second extra hole. Berger carded a five, while Harrington locked up the win with a tidy par.
Ryan Burr of Golf Channel brought up the eerie parallel between last week's Northern Trust Open winner James Hahn and what unfolded with Harrington:
It's a testament to how deep fields are in modern golf and just how much of an uphill climb it's been for Harrington to get back on top in a PGA Tour event.
Whether Harrington can keep this momentum going is hard to determine.
Two worldwide wins over the course of the past few months certainly bode well for Harrington's bid to rediscover his major magic. This latest breakthrough at such a tough course in PGA National also shows that the vintage Padraig of old has resurfaced—at least for one week.
Phil The Thrill Flashes Fine Form
Coming off two missed cuts at events he'd won a combined seven times, there was reason to be dubious of Phil Mickelson. Was Phil "The Thrill" over the hill?
The answer to that question at the 2015 Honda Classic was a resounding "no." Mickelson mustered up some serious resolve, hung tough and was in the hunt entering the back nine in Palm Beach Gardens.
Despite bogeying five of his final 13 holes to fall to level par overall and a tie for 17th, Lefty found a way to score well in overcoming mediocre rankings relative to the field.
Justin Ray of Golf Channel observed how Mickelson has tended to raise his game at the tougher venues:
Mickelson was tied for 32nd in greens in regulation for the week, tied 44th in driving accuracy and was 33rd in strokes gained putting. Such an unsavory combination isn't easily overcome, though it does help to have Mickelson's legendary short game as a bailout.
Few and far between have been the sparks of greatness since Mickelson won the British Open in 2013 with one of the better final-round major performances in recent memory. He was runner-up at last year's PGA Championship but has otherwise played mostly forgettable golf.
The feeling of being in it with a chance to win it at the Honda Classic has to provide Mickelson with a boost of optimism and a reason to believe his rigorous offseason regimen is starting to pay dividends.
All Mickelson truly lacks on his resume is a U.S. Open trophy. His latest run at it doesn't happen until June, but his outing at the Honda Classic proves he's still plenty invested in his game to lock in and excel in that brand of brutal golf.
Rory Regression?
World No. 1 Rory McIlroy first ascended to his perch atop the rankings with a win at the Honda Classic in 2012—staving off a hard-charging Tiger Woods down the stretch, no less.
McIlroy didn't stay there, swapping with Luke Donald periodically and enduring some minor slumps before arriving to where he is now, with four major titles and the No. 1 spot secure.
However, McIlroy missed the cut on Friday by three strokes, which will give any of those who still make the impossible comparison between him and Woods plenty of fuel. It will feed the narrative that McIlroy is inconsistent—as great as Woods at times but unable to sustain it.
This isn't quite right.
Golf's biggest star—yes, it's McIlroy now—was coming of a three-week break from his last start: a win in Dubai against a formidable field. Check out how steady he's been since capturing the Claret Jug in July:
| Honda Classic | MC |
| Dubai Desert Classic | 1 |
| Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship | 2 |
| Emirates Australian Open | T15 |
| DP World Tour Championship | T2 |
| Alfred Dunhill Links Championship | T2 |
| The TOUR Championship | T2 |
| BMW Championship | T8 |
| Deutsche Bank Championship | T5 |
| The Barclays | T22 |
| PGA Championship | 1 |
| WGC-Bridgestone Invitational | 1 |
| The Open Championship | 1 |
All it took was a bit of imprecision and perhaps some competitive rust on McIlroy's part. Returning to an extremely hard scoring course like PGA National after such a long layoff makes it difficult to contend—even for the best golfer on the planet.
Two uncharacteristic double bogeys put McIlroy in an early hole Thursday that he couldn't quite climb out of. His ball-striking has been nearly flawless for the better portion of the past six months or so.
Rex Hoggard of Golf Channel notes how McIlroy is already back at it, going low on Monday, albeit not in an official tournament:
For someone who relies so much on his long game, McIlroy couldn't possibly get by hitting just 18 of 36 greens in regulation at PGA National. Based on McIlroy's amazing results and how much raw ability he has with any club in his hands, expect the Honda Classic to be a minor blip rather than a trend.
Stephanie Wei reports how McIlroy was quite distraught over the sudden slip-up:
The Masters presents McIlroy with the opportunity to notch the career Grand Slam. His schedule will be geared toward capturing a green jacket, and he'll start playing a lot more leading up to a highly anticipated trip to Augusta National.
There isn't any cut at this week's exclusive WGC-Cadillac Championship at Doral, where McIlroy is guaranteed four competitive rounds. Prior to last year's tie for 25th there, McIlroy had finished inside the top 10 in his prior three appearances.
McIlroy is due to bounce back, as he has done so many times already in his young career fresh off colossal disappointments. Smart money says he'll be in the mix come this next Sunday in Miami.
Note: Stats and tournament information courtesy of PGATour.com unless otherwise noted.
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