Tag: 2021 Honda Classic

How much money each PGA Tour player won at the Honda Classic

Check out how much money each PGA Tour player earned this week at the Honda Classic in Florida.

It pays to play well on the PGA Tour, folks. Just ask this week’s winner, Matt Jones.

The 40-year-old Australian took a bite out of the Bear Trap, winning the Honda Classic for his second win on Tour. Jones cruised in the final round, signing for a 2-under 68 to win by five shots on the challenging Champion course at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

Jones takes home the trophy and the top prize of $1,260,000 and 500 FedEx Cup points. Brandon Hagy, who finished second, earned $763,000.

Check out how much money each player earned this week at the Honda Classic.

Honda Classic: Leaderboard | Photos | Winner’s Bag

Honda Classic prize money

Position Player Score Earnings
1 Matt Jones -12 $1,260,000
2 Brandon Hagy -7 $763,000
T3 Chase Seiffert -6 $320,600
T3 Brendan Steele -6 $320,600
T3 Denny McCarthy -6 $320,600
T3 Russell Henley -6 $320,600
T3 C.T. Pan -6 $320,600
T8 Adam Hadwin -5 $190,750
T8 Camilo Villegas -5 $190,750
T8 Zach Johnson -5 $190,750
T8 Sungjae Im -5 $190,750
T8 Sam Ryder -5 $190,750
T13 Kevin Chappell -4 $125,417
T13 Adam Scott -4 $125,417
T13 Steve Stricker -4 $125,417
T13 Robert Streb -4 $125,417
T13 Cameron Tringale -4 $125,417
T13 Aaron Wise -4 $125,417
T19 Michael Thompson -3 $82,950
T19 Harry Higgs -3 $82,950
T19 John Huh -3 $82,950
T19 Harold Varner III -3 $82,950
T19 Lucas Glover -3 $82,950
T19 Stewart Cink -3 $82,950
T25 Joaquin Niemann -2 $54,950
T25 Phil Mickelson -2 $54,950
T25 Chris Kirk -2 $54,950
T25 Roger Sloan -2 $54,950
T25 Brice Garnett -2 $54,950
T30 Chase Koepka -1 $45,850
T30 Jhonattan Vegas -1 $45,850
T30 Keegan Bradley -1 $45,850
T33 Tyler McCumber E $39,900
T33 Cameron Davis E $39,900
T33 Sepp Straka E $39,900
T36 Nate Lashley 1 $29,785
T36 Satoshi Kodaira 1 $29,785
T36 Matthew NeSmith 1 $29,785
T36 Mackenzie Hughes 1 $29,785
T36 Tom Lewis 1 $29,785
T36 Adam Schenk 1 $29,785
T36 Kevin Streelman 1 $29,785
T36 Will Gordon 1 $29,785
T36 Vincent Whaley 1 $29,785
T36 Shane Lowry 1 $29,785
T46 Talor Gooch 2 $19,070
T46 Pat Perez 2 $19,070
T46 Brian Gay 2 $19,070
T46 Mark Hubbard 2 $19,070
T46 Lucas Herbert 2 $19,070
T46 Alexander Noren 2 $19,070
T46 J.B. Holmes 2 $19,070
T53 Scott Harrington 3 $16,478
T53 Keith Mitchell 3 $16,478
T53 Jason Dufner 3 $16,478
T53 Charl Schwartzel 3 $16,478
T53 Jim Herman 3 $16,478
T58 Jimmy Walker 4 $15,960
T58 Ryan Armour 4 $15,960
T60 D.J. Trahan 5 $15,540
T60 Beau Hossler 5 $15,540
T60 William McGirt 5 $15,540
T60 Erik van Rooyen 5 $15,540
64 Ted Potter Jr. 6 $15,190
T65 Rickie Fowler 7 $14,980
T65 Stephen Stallings Jr. 7 $14,980
T67 Bronson Burgoon 10 $14,700
T67 Kiradech Aphibarnrat 10 $14,700

Honda Classic gallery

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Jack Nicklaus: Honda Classic will be in more favorable spot on PGA Tour schedule next year

Jack Nicklaus thinks the Honda Classic will be in a more favorable spot on the PGA Tour’s schedule next year.

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Jack Nicklaus is hoping the Honda Classic’s one-year run as the final stop on the Florida Swing is over.

The legendary golfer, whose charity is the primary beneficiary of the Honda Classic, made it clear Sunday he does not believe the tournament is in a good spot coming between the Players Championship and a World Golf Championship event.

“No, that won’t work out,” he said when asked if remaining in the spot is good for Honda. “I think that’s going to be changed next year.

“It will be different on the schedule; I think the Tour schedule will be different. I think it will be much better for the Honda tournament, I think they’ll have a good field.”

According to Honda officials, a change in the schedule is in discussion.

Honda was moved forward three weeks in the schedule this year into the spot previously held by the Valspar Championship in Palm Harbor, Florida. The WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play in Austin, Texas, is next week. Valspar was moved to late April.

Opinion: How to make Match Play Wednesday worth watching again

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The Honda field has suffered this year, much of it out of the tournament’s control. Along with being in a tough spot in the schedule, local favorites Brooks Koepka, Daniel Berger and Gary Woodland could not play because of injury or illness.

And Honda was hurt by locals Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas, Rory McIlroy and Patrick Cantlay — all ranked in the top 11 in world – taking off the week, despite living within about a 20-minute drive of PGA National.

Nicklaus was asked if he felt pressure during his Hall of Fame career to play in certain tournaments.

“You always had that pressure,” he said. “Out of maybe 40 tournaments, I played usually 18 or 20. Some tournaments you’re never going to go to just because it just doesn’t work. You got some you’d like to work in. I’d used to try to take two or three every year I hadn’t played and tried to work that into the calendar.”

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Matt Jones takes bite out of Bear Trap with Honda Classic win

Matt Jones earned his second PGA Tour win on Sunday, claiming the Honda Classic in convincing fashion.

Matt Jones began the week with a 61, entered the final round of the Honda Classic with a three-shot lead and is leaving with the trophy after a strong finish.

The 40-year-old Australian earned his second win on the PGA Tour on Sunday, carding a stress-free 2-under 68 to claim the title at 12 under on the challenging Champion course at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

Jones began the day with birdies on the first and third holes, ultimately making the turn at 1 under after a bogey on the par-3 7th. Following a bogey on No. 11, Jones took a five-shot lead with consecutive birdies on Nos. 12 and 13. He immediately gave a shot back with a bogey on No. 14.

Honda Classic: Leaderboard | Photos

After the hiccup, Jones took a bite out of the Bear Trap — holes 15-17 at the Champion course — with a pair of pars surrounding a birdie on No. 16.

Jones previously won the Shell Houston Open in 2014 in a playoff against Matt Kuchar, as well as the Australian Open in 2015 and 2019.

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Column: The Champion course packed a punch Saturday at the Honda Classic

The Champion course at PGA National packed a punch during the third round of the PGA Tour’s Honda Classic.

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Welcome back, Champ.

This is more like it. More what we expect out of the Honda Classic in March. More what we expect out of the Champion course, which annually makes the cut of most difficult courses on the PGA Tour.

The Champ packed a punch during the third round, and it left much of the field staggering.

This course can become a Bear when the winds shift, making the toughest stretch even more of a challenge. That’s what happened Saturday when the average score on the final four holes spiked by about 1.5 shots.

“This course is brutal,” said Jupiter’s Keegan Bradley. “Normally, we’re going to play in some wind, and this north wind is way tougher.”

Those winds picked up to nearly 20 mph for most of the day after periods of unusual calm the first two days.

Honda Classic: Leaderboard | Photos

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But this was the perfect storm: a shift in winds, firm greens and challenging pin placements. The final four holes, impacted most by a north wind, saw 148 birdies Friday. That number Saturday: 21.

And the scores were back to normal on a track ranked as the toughest non-major on Tour in the U.S. in 2018-19, the last full season, with an average of 71.02 (1.02) over par. After dipping to an atypical 70.7 Friday, the Champion was back to its challenging self, coming in at 71.43 Saturday.

“It’s just draining,” said Sam Ryder, who shot a 72 after entering the day 8-under after the first two rounds. “I think the biggest challenge is just trying to stay focused and trying to stay sharp. You just can’t let your guard down at all. It gets harder and harder late in the day.

“So, yeah, it was a battle for sure. So, ready for some rest.”

But here’s the thing about the nine-year pro still looking for his first victory on the PGA Tour. He was 2 over and went from fourth to tied for fourth.

Aaron Wise, who briefly held a six-shot lead, can attest to the difficulty Saturday. Wise gave it all back and then some, going from 14 under to 7 under in nine holes.

“Yeah, it was a rough day,” Wise said. “The forecast was for 10 to 15 (mph winds), and it was a lot more than that.”

And nobody felt the Bear Trap (holes No. 15, 16, 17) come alive Saturday as much as Chase Koepka, the Palm Beach County native and brother of four-time major champion, Brooks.

On Friday, Koepka became the 10th player since 2007 to birdie the 15th, 16th and 17th holes in a single round and first since 2019. Saturday was a much different story on the stretch of golf course in which water threatens every shot into the green.

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Koepka played the three holes in 4-over, including a double bogey on the par-3 17th hole after his tee shot landed in a bunker behind the green, and he missed a 4.5-foot putt for bogey. He shot a 74 after a pair of 69s.

“When 15, 16 and 17 are straight into the wind,” Bradley said, “they’re really tough holes.”

Bradley had a potentially historic round going — he was 6-under after 11 holes, the course record of 9-under was equaled Thursday by Jones — before being caught by the Bear Trap.

Bradley stepped to the tee box on No. 15 and put his shot in the water. He made a double. He missed a 4-footer for par on No. 16, giving back half of what he gained the first 11 holes in two holes.

“The greens are very fast, very firm and it’s very windy,” Bradley said, other than that …

“It’s a challenge for sure.”

J.B. Holmes shot a 67 and enters the final round in second place, three shots behind Jones. Holmes is one of four golfers with three rounds in the 60s. He was challenging C.T. Pan’s 65, the low round of the day, before a bogey on No. 16.

Holmes said he didn’t miss an iron shot on the back side. “So it was playing very difficult, it wasn’t a lot of room for error,” he said.

In more than 285 rounds in the first two days, just two golfers failed to make a birdie. Three joined them Saturday: Michael Thompson, the 2013 Honda champion; Jimmy Walker, the 2016 PGA champion and Scott Harrington.

As for the final round … who knows what the Champ will have in store. Will the winds dial back to manageable levels like we saw Friday or will they roar?

“I don’t know exactly what the forecast is for tomorrow,” Wise said. “But if it’s anything like today, at least I have all the experience that I gained on some of those putts and some of those shots to lean back on.”

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Honda Classic final round tee times, TV and streaming info

From tee times to TV and streaming info, here’s everything you need to know for the final round of the PGA Tour’s Honda Classic in Florida.

It all comes down to this.

Looking for his second PGA Tour win, 40-year-old Matt Jones battled the wind in the third round of the Honda Classic and rode a 1-under 69 on Moving Day at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, to the top of the leaderboard at 10 under, three shots clear of J.B. Holmes and Aaron Wise, T-2 at 7 under. The trio of C.T. Pan, Cameron Tringale and Sam Ryder are T-4 at 6 under.

From tee times to TV and streaming info, here’s everything you need to know for the final round of the Honda Classic.

Honda Classic: Leaderboard | Photos

Honda Classic tee times

Time Players
8:10 a.m. Rickie Fowler, Bronson Burgoon
8:20 a.m. D.J. Trahan, Kiradech Aphibarnrat
8:30 a.m. Jimmy Walker, Ted Potter, Jr.
8:40 a.m. Talor Gooch, Nate Lashley
8:50 a.m. Scott Harrington, Beau Hossler
9 a.m. Chase Koepka, Keith Mitchell
9:10 a.m. Pat Perez, Satoshi Kodaira
9:20 a.m. Kevin Chappell, Jason Dufner
9:30 a.m. Matthew NeSmith, Brian Gay
9:40 a.m. Mackenzie Hughes, Tom Lewis
9:50 a.m. Michael Thompson, Stephen Stallings, Jr.
10 a.m. William McGirt, Adam Schenk
10:15 a.m. Jim Herman, Charl Schwartzel
10:25 a.m. Chase Seiffert, Mark Hubbard
10:35 a.m. Kevin Streelman, Harry Higgs
10:45 a.m. Brendan Steele, Joaquin Niemann
10:55 a.m. Lucas Herbert, Tyler McCumber
11:05 a.m. Will Gordon, Erik van Rooyen
11:15 a.m. John Huh, Adam Scott
11:25 a.m. Phil Mickelson, Alex Noren
11:35 a.m. Vincent Whaley, Jhonattan Vegas
11:45 a.m. Denny McCarthy, Brandon Hagy
11:55 a.m. Harold Varner III, Shane Lowry
12:10 p.m. Adam Hadwin, Cameron Davis
12:20 p.m. Sepp Straka, Steve Stricker
12:30 p.m. Russell Henley, Ryan Armour
12:40 p.m. Lucas Glover, Camilo Villegas
12:50 p.m. Roger Sloan, Chris Kirk
1 p.m. Brice Garnett, Stewart Cink
1:10 p.m. Robert Streb, Zach Johnson
1:20 p.m. Keegan Bradley, Sungjae Im
1:30 p.m. Cameron Tringale, Sam Ryder
1:40 p.m. Aaron Wise, C.T. Pan
1:50 p.m. Matt Jones, J.B. Holmes

How to watch

Sunday, March 21

TV

Golf Channel (Watch for free on fuboTV): 1-3 p.m.
NBC: 3-6 p.m.

STREAMING

PGA Tour Live: 7:15 a.m.-6 p.m.
Twitter: 7:15-8:30 a.m.

RADIO

PGA Tour Radio on SiriusXM: 1-6 p.m.

We recommend interesting sports viewing and streaming opportunities. If you sign up to a service by clicking one of the links, we may earn a referral fee.

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Phil Mickelson’s move from California to Florida could be delayed: ‘We still have to build’

Phil Mickelson was quiet about his move from California to Florida, saying they haven’t started construction yet on Jupiter Island.

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Phil Mickelson’s move to South Florida could be delayed.

The Hall of Fame golfer was reported to be building a home on Jupiter Island but said Saturday he has yet to start construction.

Although Mickelson said “the plan” is to move here, he also said he wanted to “hold off” on talking about his reason for the decision. “A lot of great things around the area,” was all he would say.

When asked if he still could make the move from his home in Rancho Santa Fe, California, to Florida this summer, Mickelson, 50, said: “We’re looking at that as an option. We still have to build. We have a lot. We haven’t built on it yet.”

Florida: Golfweek’s Best Courses You Can Play

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Mickelson, though, appears to be enjoying his week in the area since arriving for the Honda Classic. After shooting a 69 Saturday, he praised the Pete Dye-designed Champion course.

“This golf course, conditions, setup-wise, like it’s so well done that you got a lot of options,” Mickelson said. “It’s playable, it’s tough, it’s difficult, I mean it’s really, really good. It’s been a pleasure to play because, even as the conditions have gotten more difficult, it’s still playable. You can play it with angles, different — it’s just really well done.”

Mickelson birdied Nos. 11 and 12 to shoot a 33 on the back nine. He has rebounded from an opening round 71 to shoot a 68 and 69, putting him at 2-under entering Sunday’s final round. This is Mickelson’s fourth appearance at the Honda, and he has never finished higher than 17th.

Mickelson, who has won five majors among his 44 PGA Tour championships, believes the weekend will help him prepare for the Masters, which is in three weeks.

“Because the rough is more like Augusta first cut, what it does is it allows you to, first of all, get ready for the Masters, which I think is really cool of them to do, and then second it allows you to play angles into some of these difficult pins that are tucked,” Mickelson said. “And when you get a challenging wind like this you still have a chance to play it. Even if you miss a shot here or there you can fight your way and try to salvage a par. I just think it’s a brilliantly conditioned and set up golf course.”

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Honda Classic Saturday tee times, TV and streaming info

From tee times to TV and streaming info, here’s everything you need to know for the third round of the Honda Classic

It’s Moving Day at PGA National.

After the first two rounds of the Honda Classic in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, one player rose above the rest. Aaron Wise, seeking his second PGA Tour win, sits atop the leaderboard at 12 under after consecutive rounds of 64 on Thursday and Friday.

Brandon Hagy and Matt Jones are T-2 at 9 under, with Sam Ryder four shots back in fourth at 8 under. Fan-favorites Phil Mickelson and Rickie Fowler both made the cut, while Lee Westwood leads the list of notables who won’t be playing this weekend.

From tee times to TV and streaming info, here’s everything you need to know for the third round of the Honda Classic.

Honda Classic: Leaderboard | Photos

Honda Classic tee times

Time Players
8:15 a.m. Kiradech Aphibarnrat, Chase Seiffert
8:25 a.m. Mark Hubbard, Beau Hossler
8:35 a.m. Ted Potter, Jr., Talor Gooch
8:45 a.m. Ryan Armour, Pat Perez
8:55 a.m. Stephen Stallings, Jr., Jim Herman
9:05 a.m. Vincent Whaley, Satoshi Kodaira
9:15 a.m. Roger Sloan, Mackenzie Hughes
9:25 a.m. Erik van Rooyen, Tom Lewis
9:35 a.m. Nate Lashley, Jhonattan Vegas
9:45 a.m. Phil Mickelson, C.T. Pan
9:55 a.m. Charl Schwartzel, D.J. Trahan
10:05 a.m. Alex Noren, Lucas Herbert
10:20 a.m. Chris Kirk, Bronson Burgoon
10:30 a.m. Matthew NeSmith, Tyler McCumber
10:40 a.m. John Huh, Brendan Steele
10:50 a.m. Sepp Straka, Chase Koepka
11 a.m. Brian Gay, William McGirt
11:10 a.m. Keith Mitchell, Rickie Fowler
11:20 a.m. Adam Schenk, Keegan Bradley
11:30 a.m. Jimmy Walker, Lucas Glover
11:40 a.m. Steve Stricker, Adam Hadwin
11:50 a.m. Cameron Davis, Michael Thompson
12 p.m. Kevin Chappell, Harold Varner III
12:15 p.m. Joaquin Niemann, Jason Dufner
12:25 p.m. J.B. Holmes, Adam Scott
12:35 p.m. Kevin Streelman, Sungjae Im
12:45 p.m. Robert Streb, Will Gordon
12:55 p.m. Cameron Tringale, Zach Johnson
1:05 p.m. Brice Garnett, Harry Higgs
1:15 p.m. Camilo Villegas, Stewart Cink
1:25 p.m. Shane Lowry, Russell Henley
1:35 p.m. Denny McCarthy, Scott Harrington
1:45 p.m. Matt Jones, Sam Ryder
1:55 p.m. Aaron Wise, Brandon Hagy

Saturday, March 20

TV

Golf Channel (Watch for free on fuboTV): 1-3 p.m.
NBC: 3-6 p.m.

STREAMING

PGA Tour Live: 7:15 a.m.-6 p.m.
Twitter: 7:15-8:30 a.m.

RADIO

PGA Tour Radio on SiriusXM: 1-6 p.m.

Sunday, March 21

TV

Golf Channel (Watch for free on fuboTV): 1-3 p.m.
NBC: 3-6 p.m.

STREAMING

PGA Tour Live: 7:15 a.m.-6 p.m.
Twitter: 7:15-8:30 a.m.

RADIO

PGA Tour Radio on SiriusXM: 1-6 p.m.

We recommend interesting sports viewing and streaming opportunities. If you sign up to a service by clicking one of the links, we may earn a referral fee.

Honda Classic’s COVID-limited crowd more subdued at Bear Trap than normal

The Honda Classic’s COVID-limited crowd has been more subdued and appreciative at the Bear Trap this year.

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — With a COVID-imposed limit of 10,000 patrons per day at a tournament that attracted upwards of 50,000 fans per day in past years, this year’s Honda Classic has a much different feel for fans, vendors and officials.

Concession sales are down, and the reduced crowds at the Bear Trap, which comprises the difficult 15th, 16th and 17th holes at the Champion course at PGA National Resort & Spa, are much less raucous than in past years. Grandstands around the greens that were once jammed with noisy fans now have quieter, socially distanced fans.

“You notice the difference in the stands, definitely, but the atmosphere is still the same,” said volunteer Valerie Coope of Stuart, Florida, who, along with her husband, Daniel, operated the ShotLink system at the 16th green.

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For many years, the couple has worked primarily at the 16th hole with ShotLink, which records the length of every shot, including putts, hit by every player. “You can’t beat being out in the sun, being this close to the players.”

The adjacent par-3 17th hole was always the tournament’s noisiest, with fans in the grandstands around the tee shouting encouragement, and, in the case of some players, insults, as the golfers prepared to hit iron shots to a green fronted on three sides by water.

The fans were much more subdued Thursday and Friday, expressing appreciation for good tee shots and commiserating with, rather than ridiculing, the pros whose shots splashed down short of the green.

Honda Classic: Leaderboard

“It’s been pretty tame,” said marshal Lorraine Farmer, a West Palm Beach, Florida, native who has been a volunteer along with her husband since the days when the tournament was known as the Jackie Gleason Inverrary Classic.

As a marshal, Farmer’s job is to hold up “Quiet Please” signs as players prepare to hit their tee shots. At past Hondas, especially late in the afternoon when some fans had enjoyed multiple adult beverages, shushing the crowd was a challenge. Friday afternoon, the sound was more of a low murmur.

Chase Parker of Eugene, Oregon, Todd Fulton of Sarasota, Florida, Jarrod Lussier of Jupiter, Florida, and Anthony Huber of Verona, New Jersey, hung out between the 17th tee and green, where they cheered players as they walked past them toward the green.

In past years, the crowd along the ropes might have been five or more people deep. The four friends didn’t have anyone in front of or behind them.

“The crowds are nothing like they were,” Fulton said.

“We’re just happy to be here,” Huber added. “We love this.”

Another thing they loved: Not having to wait 10 minutes to get something to eat or drink.

At the Goslings Bear Trap by the 16th green and 17th tee, a woman named Brianna served a variety of rum drinks to customers. She said the most popular cocktail was the Dark ’n Stormy, which features Goslings dark rum and ginger beer.

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“It was a lot busier the past few years, but there’s still a pretty great turnout I feel like,” she said. “We’re definitely busier today than we were yesterday. I think we’re on target for the projected sales.

“I guess this year (based on the limited attendance) they projected it differently. I was told that the years prior it felt like you were at a concert almost. It was packed.”

At a nearby refreshment stand between the 10th and 17th greens, employees Amber and Jack said business was slow, but steady.

“It hasn’t been too busy, but we do have enough customers coming in that we keep going,” Amber said. “We definitely had a lot more people last year. We don’t have a lot of people waiting in line. Last year, it was really packed, and we had a lot of people backed up in all three lines. Now, we have a steady flow. Everyone comes in and usually the three stations are good enough to get everyone.”

She and Jack added that bottles of water were by far their most popular item, followed by cheeseburgers and chicken sandwiches.

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Aaron Wise equals lowest 36-hole score at PGA National to take Honda Classic lead

After 36 holes at PGA National, Aaron Wise is in the Honda Classic lead entering the weekend.

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – Aaron Wise didn’t wait until Saturday to make his big move at the Honda Classic.

Wise made two eagles in a four-hole stretch — taking advantage of the two par-5s on the Champion course — to vault into a three-shot lead at the halfway point of the Honda Classic at PGA National Resort & Spa, with Brandon Hagy and Matt Jones tied for second at 9-under.

Wise’s second consecutive 64 enabled him to shoot the lowest 36-hole score, 12-under 128, in the Honda Classic since the tournament moved to PGA National in 2007. Dan Pohl shot 128 when the event was held at TPC at Eagle Trace in 1989.

The eagles helped Wise land atop the leaderboard. He hit his second shot to 3 feet at the 18th hole (his ninth) and then rolled in a 46-footer at the par-5 third. He became just the seventh player to make two eagles in the same round on the Champion course in more than 6,000 rounds.

“They were really special,” Wise said. “I hit a great drive on No. 18 that left me just a 7-iron. Then I rolled in a bomb at No. 3 that was a bonus. Those two sparks in the round were huge.”

Honda Classic: Leaderboard

The 24-year-old Wise has won once on the PGA Tour, the 2018 AT&T Byron Nelson, and has nine career top-10s in 87 starts He started the Honda on Thursday with three consecutive birdies and shot a 64 that was overlooked because of Jones’ course-record-tying 61.

It was impossible to not notice Wise after the pair of eagles. It didn’t hurt he’s made 230 feet of putts the first two rounds. But he knows he’s only halfway home.

“It’s two great rounds of golf, and I love that I’m playing good,” he said. “This place can get to you pretty quick and there’s a lot of trouble out there.”

Not as much as usual, though. The Champ, normally one of the toughest tests on the PGA Tour, had played tamer this week with less rough and diminishing winds.

There have already been eight 64s or lower shot this week, equaling the tournament record at PGA National in 2012. There have been almost twice as many eagles (29) on the 18th hole as bogeys or worse (15).

Hagy started the week out of the Honda field, but when he moved up on the alternate’s list Tuesday, he caught an evening flight from Scottsdale, Ariz., to West Palm Beach. Wednesday, he awakened to a call from a PGA Tour official informing him he had made the field.

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Who needs a practice round? Hagy had six birdies, an eagle and no bogeys Friday during his 62.

“I feel like I’m playing on a little bit of house money, so I kept it pretty loose out there,” Hagy said. “I just tried to have a good feeling for every shot and I am just kind of grateful for the opportunity.”

Jones could not match the magic of Thursday’s birdie-free 61. He bogeyed two of his first three holes Friday and only an eagle at the par-5 18th kept his round of 70 together.

“It’s always hard to follow up a really good round,” Jones said. “I didn’t feel like I was playing that bad. I still had a good day and I’m happy with where I’m at.”

Sam Ryder had a 63 to move into fourth place, four back. Jupiter’s Denny McCarthy (65), Shane Lowry (66), Scott Harrington (67) and 2014 Honda champion Russell Henley are tied for fifth at 7-under.

West Palm Beach resident Chase Koepka was in danger of missing the cut until he birdied all three holes of the Bear Trap (15, 16 and 17), becoming the 10th player since 2007 to do so in the same round. Koepka shot another 69 to move into 30th place and make his sixth cut in eight career PGA Tour starts.

“Today was one of those days where I really battled back,” Koepka said. “I felt like I was swinging it great, but I couldn’t really find the green, couldn’t really find the fairway.

“I told myself just to keep doing what I’m doing, because if I start second guessing myself out here on this golf course, you’re going to get beat up really quickly. I was just really proud of myself the way I battled.”

Fan favorite Phil Mickelson (68) overcame a triple bogey at the 11th hole with three birdies coming in to finish inside the 1-over cut line by two shots.

Lee Westwood was among the biggest names to miss the cut. Runner-up at the Players and Arnold Palmer Invitational the last two weeks (who played 54 holes at Augusta National this week), the 47-year-old Englishman finally ran out of gas Friday with a 78.

He still deserves kudos for honoring his commitment to play at the Honda.

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Notable PGA Tour players to miss cut at Honda Classic include Lee Westwood

Check out the notable PGA Tour players who didn’t make the cut and won’t be playing the weekend at the Honda Classic in Florida.

Golf fans and tournament officials let out a sigh of relief as an event that started out missing some star power will actually have its marquee players advance to the weekend.

Phil Mickelson and Rickie Fowler are among those who survived the Bear Trap and made the cut at the Honda Classic this week at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

Several other big names, however, were not so fortunate and were slamming trunks on Friday evening, including the biggest headline maker from the last two weekends to not win. Check out the most notable players who missed the cut this week at the Honda.

Honda Classic: Leaderboard