The Honda Classic
March 18-21, 2021
Location & Course Information
Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
PGA National Resort & Spa (Champion)
Originally designed by George and Tom Fazio in 1981, The Champion course at PGA National was redesigned by Jack Nicklaus in 1990 and again in 2014. With water in play on 16 holes and strategic bunkering, it is one of the sterner tests on the PGA TOUR. Yardage: 7,125; par 70.
Notable Course Features
The Champion course is known for a three-hole stretch nicknamed “The Bear Trap” prominently featuring approaches over water. Water guards three sides of the green at the 179-yard 15th and again at the 175-yard 17th. On the 434-yard 16th, water runs the entire length of the hole and must be carried with the second shot.
2020 Champion
Sungjae Im, South Korea
Quick Facts
Field: 144 players
Format: 72 holes stroke play
Purse: $7 million
Winner’s Share:
$1,260,000
FedExCup Points:
500 to the winner
Charity Benefit
The Honda Classic donated a record $5.35 million in 2020 to 103 South Florida philanthropic organizations. It included a $1.4 million grant to the tournament’s main beneficiary, the Nicklaus Children’s Healthcare Foundation.
Media Coverage
Golf Channel/NBC
Social Media
@TheHondaClassic
@thehondaclassic
@thehondaclassic
“After being so close so many weeks and having a bunch of top-10s, using that experience this week was big.” — Sungjae Im
HOW SUNGJAE IM WON
Sungjae Im moved into contention with birdies on four of the first five holes of the final round and claimed the victory with birdies on the two par-3 holes of “The Bear Trap,” Nos. 15 and 17. The 21-year-old shot a closing 66 to come from three strokes behind, surging out of a four-way tie for the lead with his late birdies.
Im ranked first in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green (3.072 per round) and T2 in Greens in Regulation Percentage (69.44).
Im had seven birdies in the final round and his 19 for the week tied for the most birdies.
CHECK THIS OUT
At 21 years, 11 months, two days, Sungjae Im became the youngest winner of The Honda Classic, (Rory McIlroy, age 22 in 2012).
Im became the second player from South Korea to win the event, joining Y.E. Yang (2009).
The 2020 Honda Classic was the first non-major PGA TOUR event since the 1996 NEC World Series of Golf without any players posting a score of 5-under or better in a round.
Lee Westwood, who was T4 at age 46, was bidding to become the event’s oldest champion (Padraig Harrington, age 43 in 2015).
