Honda Classic: Billy Horschel, Joseph Bramlett stake lead after first round
PALM BEACH GARDENS — Billy Horschel has won seven PGA Tour events, the FedEx Cup and played on last year’s winning U.S. team in the Presidents Cup.
What the Florida native hasn’t done is win in his home state. That’s why he showed up at this week’s Honda Classic at PGA National even though that means he will play five consecutive tournaments for the first time in his career.
“Being born and raised in the state of Florida, you want to represent your state,” Horschel said. “It’s no different than anybody who’s from Texas or California or even like Jon Rahm playing the Spanish Open.
“I make it a priority to make these Florida events a big deal. I haven’t won in the state of Florida before, so that’s one thing I want to check off before my time is done on the PGA Tour.”
Horschel got off to a great start Thursday, firing a 5-under 65 to share the Honda Classic first-round lead with Joseph Bramlett. Horschel made three consecutive birdies on his back nine — he started on No. 10 — to join Bramlett atop the leaderboard after making the turn at 2-under.
“It was a really good round of golf,” said Horschel, who is dealing with a sinus infection. “I made a couple of putts of 25-to-30 feet on the 11th and 13th holes, and that never hurts. It got me into a good frame of mind.”
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Bramlett just wants to win — anywhere. The 35-year-old California resident is coming off a career-best T7 at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, one of four top-10 finishes in 115 career starts on the PGA Tour.
In 2010, Bramlett became the first Black golfer to make it through the PGA Tour’s Q-school since Adrian Stills in 1985. Bramlett continued the momentum from Pebble Beach on Thursday with a bogey-free 65 on the Champion Course.
“No bogeys is always a good thing,” Bramlett said. “It’s a tough course. You have to show up every day. I’m thrilled to shoot 65.”
Horschel and Bramlett have a 1-shot lead over three players: Pierceson Coody (66), Justin Suh and Carason Young, who was 4-under with three holes left.
Coody is playing for the first time in a PGA Tour event with his twin brother, Parker. The Coody twins are the grandsons of 1971 Masters champion Charles Coody and members of last year’s NCAA-winning Texas golf team.
“No real nerves out there,” said Pierceson Coody, who already has won a pair of Korn Ferry Tour events and was playing in his first PGA Tour event as a pro. “Just happy to play well.”
There aren’t many big names in the field — Horschel (No. 19), Sungjae Im (No 18) and Shane Lowry (No. 20) are the only players in the top 20 in the world rankings — but they are all lurking after 18 holes.
Im, the 2020 Honda champion, is tied for sixth place with seven other players. Lowry is T14 after a 68 that almost included a hole-in-one on the 17th, the closing hole of the Bear Trap.
“I think it lipped out,” Lowry said of his 9-iron from 145 yards. “I was just happy the ball was on dry land, to be honest. Nice 2.”
Lowry deserves a break after last year’s hard-luck finish, when he was tied for the lead with Sepp Straka, but had to play the 18th hole in a downpour. Straka, playing in the group ahead and could hit his tee shot before the rain, birdied the hole to win by a shot. (Straka shot 69 Thursday.)
As it turns out, the entire field got a break Thursday with moderate winds and highs in the upper 80s. The Champion’s rough is less than half its usual height and the greens are more receptive and less speedy. The average score on the par-70 course Thursday was 70.8.
“I think that was a conscious decision on their (rules officials) part,” Horschel said. “It’s not like it’s easy. You still have to step up and hit good shots.”
Said Lowry: “It was as gettable as this course gets.”
Who knows if the conditions will stay tame for the next three days. Last year’s finish showed how finicky the South Florida weather can become.
Horschel is as familiar with how to play golf in Florida as well as anyone. He was born and raised in Florida, was a four-time All-American at the University of Florida (where he remains a passionate fan) and lives in Ponte Vedra Beach.
“I understand the humidity. I understand the green. I understand the lies,” Horschel said. “The key for me is not to overthink the conditions. Just trusting it.”
THE HONDA CLASSICPGA National – Champion Course, Palm Beach GardensTV: Friday: 2 p.m. GOLFSaturday: 1 p.m. GOLFSaturday: 3 p.m. NBCSunday: 1 p.m. GOLFSunday: 3 p.m. NBCDefending champ: Sepp Straka
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Honda Classic: Billy Horschel, Joseph Bramlett stake lead after first round
