With the Honda Classic you finally get the feeling that the golf season is really starting. Tournaments on the US West Coast are splendid, but it is Florida Swing that ignites the imagination and passion of those who play and those who watch this extraordinary sporting spectacle.
Theater of the challenge that begins today is the PGA National Resort & Spa (Champion) of Palm Beach Gardens, a par 70 of 6500 meters, a course designed by Tom and George Fazio in 1981 and revisited by Jack Nicklaus in 1990 and 2002, including of the famous Bear trap, three holes in which many players tend to fall. Up for grabs are $6,1 million, $1,1 million for the former.
For the occasion, Rory McIlroy, world number one and second last year in this competition behind Russel Henley, returns to the tee. Rory has already won one tournament this season, the Desert Classic in Dubai. The Northern Irishman is making his debut on the PGA Tour in 2015 and will take the field in the early days with two other young players, Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka, first a few weeks ago in the Phoenix Open.
In the absence of Tiger Woods, who still doesn't feel ready to face a race (and who knows when he will be again), all eyes are on Rory, hoping to see him win or fight to get back on the podium again, hoping to being able to shout once again the birth of a world phenomenon, able to compete with the historical records of the greatest. If Tiger's race stops, another must begin, otherwise the public is no longer dreaming.
The task of keeping up the morale of millions of viewers is entrusted to Rory, who will push the gas to the maximum as he has done in the last 12 months, never disappointing expectations. This weekend's appointment is so greedy that almost all the best and most famous have it on their agenda: Justin Rose, Patrick Reed and Billy Horschel; Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia and Martin Kaymer; Rickie Fowler, Russell Henley and Graeme McDowell. Francesco Molinari is also part of the field, who will try to take advantage of this last opportunity to re-enter the perimeter of the WGC Cadillac next week, from which even Tiger is automatically excluded due to his position in the World Ranking (number 70). Francesco is 62nd and probably only an exceptional result will make him enter the top 50, opening the doors of the Trump National Doral in Miami to him.
Meanwhile on the European front Edoardo Molinari, Renato Paratore, Andrea Pavan, Alessandro Tadini, Marco Crespi and Francesco Laporta, who has the 'card' for the South African circuit, are competing in the Joburg Open (February 26-March 1), a combined tournament between European Tour and Sunshine Tour scheduled at Royal Johannesburg & Kensington GC, Johannesburg South Africa.
The prize pool is 1.280.000 euros of which 206.500 will go to the winner. As for the 2016 Ryder Cup, the name of Davis Love III has been made official, as captain of the American team. “I am thrilled to have been chosen to represent my country – commented Love – and I have the same goal as in 2012, but with a different spirit. We will work to return to victory, also laying the foundations for future successes. This assignment fills me with pride and I can't wait to get started”. It should be remembered that for 2022, Italy has also applied to host the Ryder Cup, on the Roman course of the Marco Simone Golf & Country Club (Guidonia Montecelio).
