PGA TOUR
HONDA CLASSIC
Site: Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
Course: PGA National Resort & Spa (Champions). Yardage: 7,125. Par: 70.
Purse: $7 million. Winner’s share: $1.26 million.
Television: Thursday-Friday, 2-6 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday, 1-3 p.m. (Golf Channel), 3-6 p.m. (NBC).
Defending champion: Keith Mitchell.
FedEx Cup leader: Justin Thomas.
Last week: Patrick Reed won the WGC-Mexico Championship and Viktor Hovland won the Puerto Rico Open.
Notes: The Honda Classic kicks off the Florida swing of four straight events through the Valspar Championship. … Brooks Koepka, who grew up in West Palm Beach, is the highest-ranked player in the field. … Tiger Woods decided to skip the tournament for the second straight year. Others who live in the area and are not playing include Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas and Rory McIlroy. … Jack Nicklaus won the PGA Championship in 1971 and was U.S. captain of the winning Ryder Cup team in 1983, both at PGA National. … Ryo Ishikawa of Japan is among those who received a sponsor exemption. Also getting an exemption is Kurt Kitayama, the Californian (and UNLV alum) who has won twice on the European Tour. … The top 50 in the world after the Honda Classic are eligible for The Players Championship. … The tournament is likely to offer its fewest world ranking points to the winner in the last 10 years. … Rickie Fowler, who won the Honda Classic in 2017, is in the field. He skipped the last two weeks in Los Angeles and Mexico City and now is likely to play three in a row.
Next week: Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Online: www.pgatour.com
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PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS
COLOGUARD CLASSIC
Site: Tucson, Ariz.
Course: Tucson National (Catalina). Yardage: 7,207. Par: 73.
Purse: $1.7 million. Winner’s share: $255,000.
Television: Friday, 6:30-8:30 p.m. (Golf Channel-tape delay); Saturday-Sunday, 4:30-7 p.m. (Golf Channel).
Defending champion: Mark O’Meara.
Charles Schwab Cup leader: Scott Parel.
Last tournament: Scott Parel won the Chubb Classic.
Notes: Scott Parel’s victory in Florida two weeks ago put him atop the Charles Schwab Cup standings for the first time in his career. … The tour plays in Arizona and California for the next two weeks and does not return to the West until the end of August. … Tom Lehman designed the course and is in the field. Lehman won the tournament in 2017. … The initial commitment list featured three major champions on the alternate list: Mark Brooks (1996 PGA), Scott Simpson (1987 U.S. Open) and Larry Mize (1987 Masters). … Steve Stricker is in the field. His daughter, Bobbi Maria, made the traveling squad for Wisconsin’s golf team and played in Peoria, Arizona, earlier in the week.
Next week: Hoag Classic.
Online: www.pgatour.com/champions
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EUROPEAN TOUR
OMAN OPEN
Site: Muscat, Oman.
Course: Al Mouj Golf. Yardage: 7,365. Par: 72.
Purse: $1.75 million. Winner’s share: $291,725.
Television: Thursday-Friday, 1:30-3:30 a.m., 5:30-8:30 a.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday, 3-7:30 a.m. (Golf Channel).
Defending champion: Kurt Kitayama.
Race to Dubai leader: Patrick Reed.
Last week: Patrick Reed won the Mexico Championship.
Notes: Kurt Kitayama will not be defending his title. He is playing the Honda Classic on a sponsor exemption. He needs a strong week in Florida to boost his chances for the Dell Match Play. … Two-time major champion Martin Kaymer, who has fallen out of the top 100, is playing the tournament for the first time. … Justin Harding, Pablo Larrazabal and Scott Hend are among seven players in the field who competed last week in the Mexico Championship. … The Oman Open is one of six tournaments in the Middle East on the European Tour schedule. Next week is in Qatar, and then the tour returns at the end of the season to Dubai.
Next week: Commercial Bank Qatar Masters.
Online: www.europeantour.com
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KORN FERRY TOUR
EL BOSQUE MEXICO CHAMPIONSHIP
Site: Leon, Mexico.
Course: Bosque CC. Yardage: 7,762. Par: 72.
Purse: $650,000. Winner’s share: $117,000.
Television: None.
Defending champion: Martin Trainer (2018).
Points leader: Davis Riley.
Last tournament: Andrew Novak won the Lecom Suncoast Classic.
Next tournament: Chitimacha Louisiana Open on March 19-22.
Online: www.pgatour.com/kornferry
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LPGA TOUR
Last tournament: Inbee Park won the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open.
Next tournament: Volvik Founders Cup on March 19-22.
Race to CME Globe leader: Inbee Park.
Online: www.lpga.com
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OTHER TOURS
Asian Tour and PGA Tour of Australasia: New Zealand Open, Millbrook Resort and The Hills, Arrowtown, New Zealand. Defending champion: Zach Murray. Television: Friday-Saturday, 8 p.m.-midnight (Golf Channel). Online: www.asiantour.com and www.pga.org.au
Ladies European Tour: New South Wales Open, Dubbo GC, New South Wales, Australia. Defending champion: Meghan MacLaren. Online: www.ladieseuropeantour.com
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