PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. (AP) – The Honda Classic is the latest example of the how golf can be so hard to predict.
It was colder Thursday morning for the opening round in Florida than it was any day at Pebble Beach two weeks ago. Sergio Garcia, that guy who couldn’t drive, chip or putt on his way to missing the cut at Riviera last week? He was the same one who shot 5-under 65 to share the lead with Michael Thompson.
And in a sport known for eagles and birdies, alligators and Egyptian geese got just as much attention during the opening round.
It ended with Garcia and Thompson each making a birdie on the par-5 18th hole to tie for the lead, one shot ahead of Rickie Fowler and William McGirt. Only 22 players broke par, which is typical at PGA National, where two par 5s have been converted to par 4s. It makes the course look harder when keeping score by par, though the course is tough enough as it is. Kevin Kisner was asked at what point he realized anything around par was going to be a decent score.
“When I got here on Tuesday,” he said.