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.
Rickie Fowler brushed off Nick Faldo’s criticism and was optimistic about his PGA Tour future on Friday at the Honda Classic.
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Rickie Fowler was feeling pretty good after walking off the Champion course Friday, knowing he was safely inside the cut line.
Chomping down a peanut butter and banana sandwich on wheat, Fowler was given the opportunity to finish his post-round meal before talking to the media.
“I’m good, this isn’t going to be that long,” he said before leaning into a microphone and taking a chunk out of the sandwich with a great big smile. Neither the mic nor the camera was rolling.
Fowler, the Jupiter, Florida, resident, remains one of the more gracious and popular players on Tour, whether ranked No. 9 in the world, as he was two years ago entering the Honda Classic, or 81st, his current ranking. After taking questions about his round and his struggles Friday, Fowler gladly agreed to shoot a video for the wife of a PGA Tour member who was celebrating a birthday Friday. This came a day after Fowler agreed to a switch of standard bearers, so local teen Anthony Trudel could follow his idol for the day.
Rickie Fowler has not changed. He’s living a wildly successful life on and off the golf course — he dropped $14 million five years ago for his waterfront mansion — and nobody should fault or criticize him for that, especially not some Hall of Famer-turned-talking-head who sounded envious of Fowler’s popularity before offering a lame excuse as an apology.
Fowler’s 2-under 68 Friday is just his second sub-70 round in his last 14. He shot an even-par opening round and enters the weekend 2 under for the tournament after missing the cut three times in his last five starts. His world ranking is his lowest in 11 years.
All low-hanging fruit for some, including CBS golf analyst Nick Faldo.
Good news is if he misses the Masters he can shoot another six commercials that week! 😳 https://t.co/kgGcmaZUJO
Fowler, 32, is in danger of having a streak of 41 consecutive appearances at majors snapped. He will not qualify for the Masters if he does not win this weekend or in two weeks at the Texas Open. Rickie has five PGA Tour titles, none of those a major, although he has three seconds and a third. But Faldo certainly knew that considering about 90 minutes after the first dig, Sir Nick doubled down:
“Ok sports fans out of my own curiosity what would you rather have, a boatload of cash or your name in three green books?” in reference to his three Masters titles.
Feeling the heat, Faldo later released a video trying to convince everyone his purpose was to “motivate” Fowler.
Fowler was by far the bigger man.
“I know where Nick was trying to come from on that, and it’s like competitor to competitor, you’re trying to needle each other and get each other going type of thing,” Fowler said Friday. “I am fortunate to have some great partners and make some great commercials, and it’s been fun to be able to do that.”
Faldo is not the only one who has taken shots at a player respected by his peers and adored universally by his fans. Wonder how many times kids have attempted to dress like Faldo on the course, as they do weekly on Tour, including Friday when a wide-eyed child sat front row under the ropes each hole wearing an orange Puma cap and orange golf shirt.
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Faldo’s reported earnings on the course in his career were around $14 million, more than half on the European Tour. Fowler has made about $40 million. And that is a portion of his off-course earnings, which have been estimated at around $10 million a year.
On the course, Rickie’s struggles are well documented. He’s had one first since 2017, the 2019 Phoenix Open, and two top 10s in the last two seasons, none in 13 events this season.
In his last 18 rounds (six starts) entering Honda, Fowler was 18-over par.
Friday was a glimmer of hope.
“I know I’m getting close, starting to hit a lot more fairways, more greens,” Fowler said. “The other thing was on the greens I made some good putts.”
Fowler’s mood was brightened by making birdies on two of his final three holes, Nos. 7 and 9. He made a 10-footer for birdie on No. 7.
“I think part of it has just been the patience part and sticking it out and kind of keeping grinding, keep working, keep kicking down the door and it’s going to fall down at some point here,” Fowler said. “I know we’re getting close and the last two days were good, this is a golf course that tests all parts of the game, so I’m happy with 70, 68, (that) is not terrible around this place.”
Wesley Bryan rolled his shirt up, took off his socks, shoes and pink pants to play a shot from the mud at the Honda Classic.
Anything to save a stroke, right?
Wesley Bryan proved as much on Friday during the second round of the Honda Classic.
Bryan rolled his shirt and tied it up, took off his socks and shoes, and perhaps most bravely, peeled off his pink pants to play a shot in his boxer briefs.
Staying just this side of public nudity, Bryan stood in mud well past his ankles and swiped at the ball on the sixth hole, his 15th of the day.
Well off the cutline to make the weekend at PGA National, Bryan must have figured, “Why the hell not?”
After making contact with his ball, and spraying some mud, Bryan managed to get cleaned up (how, we’re not quite sure), put his clothes back on, and finished the hole with a double-bogey 6, his fourth double of the day.
After a recent hot streak, Lee Westwood finally ran out of gas at the PGA Tour’s Honda Classic in Florida.
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — After posting back-to-back second-place finishes in the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Players Championship following a tie for 61st in the WGC-Workday Championship, Lee Westwood was in serious need of a break this week. But the Englishman had committed to play in the Honda Classic and he said it would not have been right to withdraw at such a late date from his fourth PGA Tour event in four weeks.
Westwood, who turns 48 on April 24, at least has the weekend off. He followed a gritty, even-par 70 on Thursday afternoon with a 78 Friday morning on the Champion course at PGA National Resort & Spa and will miss the cut.
Asked if he simply ran out of gas, Westwood said, “Yeah, about four days ago. … This was probably a tournament too far for me, after the run I’ve had the last two weeks. But I felt like I should play here this week. But in an ideal world this would have been a week off after finishing second the last two weeks. What can you do? Just felt like one I had to play. Kind of glazed over out there I was so tired.”
Given his exhaustion, Westwood was proud of Thursday’s round. He was 2 over par after 14 holes but birdied 17 and 18 to get back to even.
“Yesterday’s (round) was really good. I really grounded it out, and it took me two birdies to make it a pretty respectable score,” he said. “I hit some good shots today, but the body was just telling me that there was no fuel left in the tank.
“If you play well, there’s a score out there for you. But if you haven’t got control of your game, this is a difficult golf course.”
Starting on the 10th hole Friday, Westwood double-bogeyed the par-4 11th after his approach shot came up short in the water. He bogeyed the 14th to make the turn at 3 over.
He stalled out on the front nine, posting a 5-over 40 with two double bogeys, two bogeys and only one birdie to finish at 8-over 148.
Westwood plans to relax over the next few days before he tees it up next week in the WGC-Match Play in Austin, Texas.
“I’ll just take it easy over the weekend, do a lot of stretching and mobility work and try and sleep past half past five (5:30 a.m.) like it was this morning,” he said.
“I didn’t swing it as well Sunday last week. I was starting to get tired. Three weeks in a row with not really a day off. I am 48 in a month and I can’t keep doing it like the 20-year-olds do it. I’m looking forward to all the tournaments coming up, but I’m looking forward to the rest the most this week.”
Anthony Trudel was selected as a standard bearer for the Honda Classic, but he was worried he might not be able to focus on his job.
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Anthony Trudel was selected as a standard bearer for Thursday’s opening round of the Honda Classic, but he was worried he might not be able to focus on his job.
That’s because he was told he’d be carrying the placard displaying a group’s scores relative to par for a threesome playing behind his idol, Rickie Fowler.
“He was like, ‘I don’t think I’m going to be able to pay attention, I’m going to be watching him ahead of me,’” said Anthony’s mother, Daniela. “‘I got the group behind Rickie, I might lose focus looking at the group in front.’”
What Anthony, 17, didn’t know was that his mother, working behind the scenes with Cara Canington, the PGA Tour’s Manager of Social Impact & Responsibility, and in conjunction with the tournament and Fowler, arranged to make a switch as Anthony waited on the first tee of the Champion course at PGA National Resort & Spa.
That’s where he was told that instead of carrying the standard for the 1:15 p.m. group of J.B. Holmes, Brian Gay and Austin Cook, he’d be the standard bearer for Fowler, the 2017 Honda champion, 2019 champ Keith Mitchell and defending champ Sungjae Im, who teed off at 1:04. Keeping a low, but delighted, profile just outside the ropes were Daniela, dad Richard and sister Giada.
“I was surprised,” Anthony said. “It was a good day out there. I’m looking forward to the next couple of days. I’m going to watch (Rickie) Friday morning and then do this in the afternoon.”
According to Daniela, Fowler has been Anthony’s hero “since he was a little kid. He was a little kid dressed in Puma.”
“We bought him the sneakers, he had all the high-tops since they ever came out,” added Richard. “I’ve got them all lined up in the garage.”
Rickie Fowler gives standard bearer Anthony Trudel his golf glove after Thursday’s first round of the Honda Classic at PGA National. (Photo: Steve Waters Special to the Palm Beach Post)
“He doesn’t plan things for the weekend,” Daniela said. “If Rickie makes the cut he stays home and watches golf all weekend. If he doesn’t make the cut then he’ll be like, ‘OK, now I can do something for the weekend.’”
Fowler, one of the PGA Tour’s fan favorites, proved worthy of that adulation after Anthony went to the hospital with a severe headache and was found to have a brain tumor. That was almost four years ago, when he was 13. His mother said his only question for his doctors was when could he play golf again.
Now a junior at North Broward Prep, where he plays on the golf team, Anthony is “doing good” and has follow-ups every eight months at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, which is a major beneficiary of the Honda Classic’s charitable efforts.
Two year ago, thanks to the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the PGA Tour’s Canington, the Trudels attended the Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit. Anthony was told he might be able to meet Fowler. Fowler was doing a clinic when he invited Anthony to join him, had him hit a few wedge shots, then presented him with a set of Cobra golf clubs and a Cobra golf bag. Puma, Fowler’s apparel sponsor, provided the Trudels with clothing. On Saturday of the tournament, Anthony was allowed to walk inside the ropes with Fowler.
“That was like just the most amazing experience. The PGA Tour has done so many things,” Daniela said. “Cara has kept in contact and that’s how we were able to make this happen.
“Anthony volunteered (to be a standard bearer) before I even contacted the PGA Tour. He said, ‘It’s close to home, it’s the closest one, can I volunteer, I want to do it?’ So he did it and once he got the approval that he would be a standard bearer, I contacted Cara and said, ‘Is there any way …?’”
And Canington found a way to make another wish come true for Anthony.
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Matt Jones introduced himself to the golf world at the 2008 Honda Classic when he was tied for the lead going into the final round and had NBC analyst Johnny Miller drooling about the rookie’s swing.
Jones finished fourth that week after he got snared in the Bear Trap. That sure-fire trip to stardom that Miller predicted hasn’t unfolded: Jones has won once on the PGA Tour in the 13 years since.
But Jones played like a Hall of Famer on Thursday, firing a 9-under 61 in windy conditions to tie the Champion course record at PGA National. It gave him a three-shot lead over 2014 Honda Classic champion Russell Henley and Aaron Wise after the first round.
A 61? On the Champ? In these conditions? No player bettered 66 in four rounds last year.
“He’s done? He played all 18 holes?” said Zach Johnson, who had a 67. “If he played 16 holes, that would be a good score.”
“It was an incredible round, one of the best I’ve ever seen,” said Adam Hadwin, who played alongside Jones. “I just stopped saying, ‘Good shot,’ at some point. He just hit so many, you stop saying it.”
“Could be the round of the year,” said Lee Westwood, who shot 70.
Yet Jones wasn’t fist-pumping his way around the Champion course. Afterward, you couldn’t tell if the 40-year-old Australian shot a 61 or a 71.
Never mind this was his lowest score – by four shots! – in his 330th start on the PGA Tour.
“I play golf for a living,” Jones said. “I mean, I should be able to shoot a good score occasionally.”
How much was he in the zone? After an opening par, Jones birdied the next four holes – and didn’t realize he had done so until he saw a scoreboard at the end of the round.
“I didn’t even think about it,” Jones said. “You can’t think about that on this golf course because every hole can bite you.”
Jones closed with three consecutive birdies, including two at the Bear Trap, to match the 61 Brian Harmon shot in the second round of the 2012 Honda Classic. Jones hit 14 greens, took only 24 putts and was the only player to not make a bogey.
“It was probably one of the better ball-striking days with my irons that I’ve had for a long, long time,” Jones said. “Made a few putts. I got a little lucky to make a 30-footer from off the green at No. 17. It was a very good day.”
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It was a reminder of 2008, when Jones opened with rounds of 66 and 67 to get into the final pairing on Saturday, a shot behind leader Brian Davis. Jones had a chance to win on Sunday before he hit it into the water at No. 17, finishing three behind champion Ernie Els.
“I do remember it quite fondly,” Jones said. “Someone sent me a screenshot of that leaderboard yesterday, so it was good to see that.”
Henley also has good vibes at PGA National, having won in 2014 in a playoff against Rory McIlroy, Russell Knox and Ryan Palmer. Henley kick-started his round with an eagle at the 18th hole (his ninth) and made three consecutive birdies at the turn.
“This course will just beat you up and because it’s so hard, I feel like it takes a little pressure off me,” Henley said. “It’s such a beast that you just got to hang in there the entire time.”
There was a Koepka sighting on the leaderboard – Chase, not Brooks, who had to withdraw from his hometown PGA Tour event with a right leg injury. Chase, in on a sponsor’s exemption, was 3 under on his first six holes before settling for a 1-under 69.
Cameron Davis, who last year became the only player to shoot all four rounds in the 60s at the Masters while finishing second, birdied three consecutive holes late in his round for a 66. He’s tied for fourth with Scott Harrington and Kevin Chappell and U.S. Ryder Cup captain Steve Stricker.
Reigning British Open champion Shane Lowry, who recently moved to Palm Beach Gardens, had a 67 and is tied for eighth with Johnson, Jupiter’s Cameron Tringale and three others.
They’re all chasing Aussie Jones, who had a round Thursday the rest of the field was drooling about.
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — The PGA Tour is heading to PGA National this week for the Honda Classic.
One of the toughest tests on Tour, the Champion course in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, Matt Jones leads the field after the opening 18 holes following a first round 9-under 61. He sits three shots ahead of Aaron Wise and Russell Henley at 6 under in second. Four golfers including Steve Stricker are T-4 at 4 under. Six golfers including Shane Lowry sit T-9 at 3 under.
Check out the best and worst rounds of the day after the first round of the Honda Classic at PGA National.
Overshadowed by his more famous playing partner, Phil Mickelson, Lowry was one of the more consistent golfers Thursday, carding just one bogey and four birdies. Lowry, the reigning British Open champion, started on No. 10 and birded Nos. 16 and 18 with a bogey sandwiched in between. He added birdies at Nos. 2 and 3 before playing even-par the rest of the way. Soon, Lowry will just be a short drive away from PGA National. The Ireland native is building a house in Jupiter.
Hunter Mahan
38-39-77
A six-time winner on the PGA Tour, Mahan bogeyed his first two holes of the day, the start of an eventful day. Mahan, who started on No. 10, played the Bear Trap in 2 over thanks to a double-bogey on No. 15, where he hit his tee shot in the water. Mahan’s best hole of the day was No. 3 when he hit his second shot 259 yards, leaving a four-and-a-half-foot putt for eagle that he sunk. He bogeyed Nos. 4 and 5 to give those two shots right back and then hit into the water on No. 6, finishing with a double bogey. A bogey, birdie and par followed as he completed one of the crazier rounds of the day.
Adam Scott
35-34-69
After an opening bogey on No. 10, Scott’s second shot at 11 ended up on the edge of the water hazard, near the muck. The Australian then stripped off his shoes and threw on a jacket before stepping into the water and hitting the shot to within 12 feet of the hole and sinking the ensuing putt to save par. Scott took advantage of one of the easier holes of the day, the 18th, to card an eagle and make the turn at 1-under. Thanks to three birdies, a bogey and a double bogey, Scott played his final nine holes at even-par.
From tee times to TV and streaming info, here’s everything you need to know for the second round of the Honda Classic at PGA National.
The PGA Tour is heading to PGA National this week for the Honda Classic.
One of the toughest tests on Tour, the Champion course in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, plays host to the following marquee groups for the first two rounds are: Rhein Gibson who replaced Daniel Berger, Keegan Bradley and Lee Westwood; Sungjae Im, Keith Mitchell and Rickie Fowler; Adam Scott, Joaquin Niemann and Ian Poulter; Shane Lowry, Phil Mickelson and Zach Johnson.
Matt Jones leads the field after the opening 18 holes following a first round 9-under 61. He sits three shots ahead of Aaron Wise and Russell Henley at 6 under in second. Four golfers including Steve Stricker are T-4 at 4 under.
From tee times to TV and streaming info, here’s everything you need to know for the second round of the Honda Classic. All times listed are in Eastern Standard Time.
Honda Classic tee times
1st tee
Tee Time
Players
7:25 a.m.
Rafa Cabrera Bello, Tyler McCumber, Will Gordon
7:36 a.m.
Padraig Harrington, J.J. Spaun, Sam Ryder
7:47 a.m.
Scott Brown, Cameron Davis, Bo Hoag
7:58 a.m.
Stewart Cink, Tyler Duncan, Russell Knox
8:09 a.m.
Michael Thompson, Jim Furyk, Kevin Streelman
8:20 a.m.
Andrew Landry, Troy Merritt, Luke Donald
8:31 a.m.
Nick Taylor, Brice Garnett, William McGirt
8:42 a.m.
James Hahn, Maverick McNealy, Robby Shelton
8:53 a.m.
Brian Stuard, Sepp Straka, Harry Higgs
9:04 a.m.
Jamie Lovemark, Tom Hoge, Tom Lewis
9:15 a.m.
Matt Wallace, Roger Sloan, Alan Morin
9:26 a.m.
Sebastian Cappelen, Chase Koepka, Stephen Stallings, Jr.
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.
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PALM BEACH GARDENS — Masks are in and large crowds are out at the 2021 Honda Classic.
Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, tournament organizers are conducting the typically fan-friendly event under strict health and safety protocols that include a mandatory mask mandate and fewer fans.
Thursday’s first round, played on a near 90-degree day at PGA National, reflected those changes.
With capacity limited to 10,000 fans per day, there was far less crowding around fairways, holes, concession stands or popular tournament venues such as the Bear Trap.
That was welcome news for many fans, who said they were able to get unobstructed views of the players as they walked the course.
“It’s a lot more open,” said Jeff Forney, a Boynton Beach resident who regularly attends the Honda Classic. “You can get closer to the players this year. It’s been great.”
“There’s a little bit more elbow room, and I can visually watch the tournament more closely,” said Kathleen Theen, a part-time Juno Beach resident who waited with friends by the 18th tee to catch a glimpse of golfer Phil Mickelson. “There are fewer people here.”
Smaller crowds also made it less of a challenge for fans to get to and from the tournament, as there were no lengthy waits for buses.
“It was really easy arriving here,” said Mike Knowles, a Delray Beach resident who visited the tournament Thursday with his wife, Karen. “The buses were all here. It was really pretty simple. There was no waiting. We came here once years ago, and people were passing out while waiting for the bus because they were so hot. There were ambulances and everything.”
The tournament’s bus system was well-organized, agreed part-time Juno Beach resident Joan Shaw.
“We were socially distanced, and people were giving us good instructions coming in,” she said.
Shaw and other fans praised the health and safety protocols instituted by the tournament, which were developed in conjunction with CDC guidelines.
In addition to the mandatory mask mandate, the tournament also features enhanced sanitization protocols, social distancing enforcement — though there was some crowding around certain holes — and mobile ordering for concessions.
No handshakes, first bumps, autographs, photographs or selfies are permitted throughout the duration of the four-day tournament.
“I’m very impressed with the protocols that are in place,” said Joe Grinnelli, a part-time Jupiter resident. “From the parking lot entrance to the bus ride with the distancing to the crowd control here at the Classic, I think they’ve done a wonderful job.”
Grinnelli said he wasn’t a big fan of the mask mandate, but he would abide by the rules put in place by the tournament.
Enforcing those rules is the newly created Health and Safety Committee, which is comprised of about 100 volunteers who roam the course, along with security and law enforcement to assist in policy enforcement and spectator education.
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Mary Fahey, the committee’s chair, said fans have done a good job so far of wearing their masks when not eating or drinking, though some needed “gentle” reminders.
“People don’t like to wear masks, and we just encourage them,” she said. “This is a private event, so it is a masking event and they do need to wear masks.”
Fahey said her committee will be flexible as needed during the tournament, but it remains committed to ensuring the safety of everyone who walks into PGA National this week.
“We’re here for the safety of the players,” she said. “This is their job. This is how they make money. We want to keep them safe, so they can go in and do their job and be safe. We don’t want them to get sick, we don’t want our spectators to get sick, and we don’t want the volunteers to get sick.”
Long-time volunteer Thomas Gibbs, a West Palm Beach resident who was working the 17th green Thursday morning as a course marshal, said he appreciated the efforts made by fans to abide by healthy and safety requirements.
“Everybody so far has been 99 percent following the rules and regulations,” he said.
Food and souvenir vendors said fans have been keeping their distance so far, though they expect that might become more of a challenge this weekend when bigger crowds are predicted.
Angie Sangiovanni, who sells beverages at Tito’s Bar on the 17th green, said sales started slowly Thursday morning, but she expected things to pick up later, as they typically do at the Honda Classic.
Phil Mickelson during the first round of 2021 The Honda Classic at PGA National Champion course in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
“Thursdays are slower,” she said. “We’ve been working this for 15 years, but we’re usually at The Terrace where they have all the entertainment. That’s on 9, so we see a lot of people early. Towards the first holes, it’ll be a little bit busier. It’ll get busy.”
Golfer Matt Jones, who shot a tournament record-tying 61 Thursday, said busier was better for him after months of playing without fans. The Honda Classic is one of the first tournaments since the coronavirus pandemic began to permit fans on-site.
“I think as golfers we all like to play in front of fans and be able to perform,” he said. “It gives us probably a little more adrenaline, more focus when you know they’re out watching you hit good shots. To have them back is fantastic, and hopefully it just continues to grow, and we continue to get more fans back every week.”
More fans means more energy from the crowd, Palm Beach Gardens resident Ron Roan said, and with limited capacity for this year’s Honda Classic, that energy was lacking in some spots.
“With smaller crowds, the good thing is there’s more visibility, and you can get in and out,” Roan said. “But energy is nice sometimes, with the excitement of the putts and great holes. It’s been mixed for me.”
Clem Russo, also a Palm Beach Gardens resident, seconded that.
PALM BEACH GARDENS — Masks are in and large crowds are out at the 2021 Honda Classic.
Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, tournament organizers are conducting the typically fan-friendly event under strict health and safety protocols that include a mandatory mask mandate and fewer fans.
Thursday’s first round, played on a near 90-degree day at PGA National, reflected those changes.
With capacity limited to 10,000 fans per day, there was far less crowding around fairways, holes, concession stands or popular tournament venues such as the Bear Trap.
That was welcome news for many fans, who said they were able to get unobstructed views of the players as they walked the course.
“It’s a lot more open,” said Jeff Forney, a Boynton Beach resident who regularly attends the Honda Classic. “You can get closer to the players this year. It’s been great.”
“There’s a little bit more elbow room, and I can visually watch the tournament more closely,” said Kathleen Theen, a part-time Juno Beach resident who waited with friends by the 18th tee to catch a glimpse of golfer Phil Mickelson. “There are fewer people here.”
Smaller crowds also made it less of a challenge for fans to get to and from the tournament, as there were no lengthy waits for buses.
“It was really easy arriving here,” said Mike Knowles, a Delray Beach resident who visited the tournament Thursday with his wife, Karen. “The buses were all here. It was really pretty simple. There was no waiting. We came here once years ago, and people were passing out while waiting for the bus because they were so hot. There were ambulances and everything.”
The tournament’s bus system was well-organized, agreed part-time Juno Beach resident Joan Shaw.
“We were socially distanced, and people were giving us good instructions coming in,” she said.
Shaw and other fans praised the health and safety protocols instituted by the tournament, which were developed in conjunction with CDC guidelines.
In addition to the mandatory mask mandate, the tournament also features enhanced sanitization protocols, social distancing enforcement — though there was some crowding around certain holes — and mobile ordering for concessions.
No handshakes, first bumps, autographs, photographs or selfies are permitted throughout the duration of the four-day tournament.
“I’m very impressed with the protocols that are in place,” said Joe Grinnelli, a part-time Jupiter resident. “From the parking lot entrance to the bus ride with the distancing to the crowd control here at the Classic, I think they’ve done a wonderful job.”
Grinnelli said he wasn’t a big fan of the mask mandate, but he would abide by the rules put in place by the tournament.
Enforcing those rules is the newly created Health and Safety Committee, which is comprised of about 100 volunteers who roam the course, along with security and law enforcement to assist in policy enforcement and spectator education.
[vertical-gallery id=778094072]
Mary Fahey, the committee’s chair, said fans have done a good job so far of wearing their masks when not eating or drinking, though some needed “gentle” reminders.
“People don’t like to wear masks, and we just encourage them,” she said. “This is a private event, so it is a masking event and they do need to wear masks.”
Fahey said her committee will be flexible as needed during the tournament, but it remains committed to ensuring the safety of everyone who walks into PGA National this week.
“We’re here for the safety of the players,” she said. “This is their job. This is how they make money. We want to keep them safe, so they can go in and do their job and be safe. We don’t want them to get sick, we don’t want our spectators to get sick, and we don’t want the volunteers to get sick.”
Long-time volunteer Thomas Gibbs, a West Palm Beach resident who was working the 17th green Thursday morning as a course marshal, said he appreciated the efforts made by fans to abide by healthy and safety requirements.
“Everybody so far has been 99 percent following the rules and regulations,” he said.
Food and souvenir vendors said fans have been keeping their distance so far, though they expect that might become more of a challenge this weekend when bigger crowds are predicted.
Angie Sangiovanni, who sells beverages at Tito’s Bar on the 17th green, said sales started slowly Thursday morning, but she expected things to pick up later, as they typically do at the Honda Classic.
Phil Mickelson during the first round of 2021 The Honda Classic at PGA National Champion course in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
“Thursdays are slower,” she said. “We’ve been working this for 15 years, but we’re usually at The Terrace where they have all the entertainment. That’s on 9, so we see a lot of people early. Towards the first holes, it’ll be a little bit busier. It’ll get busy.”
Golfer Matt Jones, who shot a tournament record-tying 61 Thursday, said busier was better for him after months of playing without fans. The Honda Classic is one of the first tournaments since the coronavirus pandemic began to permit fans on-site.
“I think as golfers we all like to play in front of fans and be able to perform,” he said. “It gives us probably a little more adrenaline, more focus when you know they’re out watching you hit good shots. To have them back is fantastic, and hopefully it just continues to grow, and we continue to get more fans back every week.”
More fans means more energy from the crowd, Palm Beach Gardens resident Ron Roan said, and with limited capacity for this year’s Honda Classic, that energy was lacking in some spots.
“With smaller crowds, the good thing is there’s more visibility, and you can get in and out,” Roan said. “But energy is nice sometimes, with the excitement of the putts and great holes. It’s been mixed for me.”
Clem Russo, also a Palm Beach Gardens resident, seconded that.
