The Honda Classic Preview & Groups To Watch

The PGA Tour is in Florida for the first time in 2012 for The Honda Classic (@TheHondaClassic). Rory Sabbatini is the defending champion but it's another Rory that everyone wants to see, Rory McIlroy (@McIlroyRory). McIlroy was runner-up at the Accenture Match Play Championship and is poised to take over the number one spot in the Official World Golf Rankings at the age of 22. 

(Can Rory McIlroy become the top ranked golfer in the world? Photo: Telegraph)

McIlroy isn't the only player in the top five in the Official World Golf Rankings this week. Just one spot behind him is the Lee Westwood (@WestwoodLee). Westwood is looking for his first PGA Tour victory since the 2010 St. Jude Classic and will have his sites set on McIlroy, who defeated him last week in the semi-finals. 

The field features 12 former Honda Classic champions including Sabbatini. Camilo Villegas (2010), Y.E. Yank (2009), Ernie Els (2008), and Mark Wilson (2007) are the most recent winners. Wilson joins Kyle Stanley and Johnson Wagner as the only players in the field with a victories in 2012. 

Honda Classic Groups To Watch

 3. Mark Wilson, Rory Sabbatini & Camilo Villegas: Three former winners of this event get our attention for the first two rounds. With a win in 2012 and finishing third last week will give Mark Wilson (@MarkWilsonGolf) the majority of the attention. Villegas (@CamiloVillegasR) is off to a slow start finishing in the top 25 only once this season while Sabbatini has missed three straight cuts. 

2. Kyle Stanley, Keegan Bradley & Rory MicIlroy: Three of the best golfers in the game under 30 years old are paired together. Stanley has a win in 2012 while Bradley came up just short by losing in a playoff. McIlroy is almost expected to win every tournament he enters and it seems to be a matter of time before he takes over the worlds top spot. 

1. Tiger Woods, Lee Westwood & Ian Poulter: As @Golf4Beginners said via Twitter: "TW has to win eventually!". Each week when Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) plays we're wondering if this is the week and it keeps us watching. He's never won this event but it doesn't mean we won't see it happen this week. Lee Westwood is in search of PGA Tour career victory number three and his first since 2010. He looked great last week and will look to carry it over in stroke play. Ian Poulter (@IanJamesPoulter) is looking for his first PGA Tour win in over two years. 

 

@WAMGolfs Pick to Win: Keegan Bradley (@Keegan_Bradley)