By Paul Myers
So far in the 2017 calendar year, there have been a number of easy wins on the PGA Tour. Well, to be fair, no win on the PGA Tour is easy, as you have to defeat the best competition in the world to come out on top. However, a few players have made their wins look easy, thanks to a comfortable margin of victory when all was said and done. Jordan Spieth at Pebble Beach, Dustin Johnson at Riviera, and Justin Thomas at Kapalua have all walked away with their titles. Now, you can add Rickie Fowler to that list, as he pulled away for a comfortable victory in the Honda Classic.
A Strong Career Profile
In the end, the final margin of victory was four shots, as Fowler prevailed over Morgan Hoffmann and Gary Woodland. While Fowler closed with a relatively pedestrian 71, he earned the right to coast to the house with scores of 66-66-65 in the first three rounds. Despite criticisms regarding the fact that he has not yet won a major championship, Fowler is gradually putting together an excellent PGA Tour career. He now has seven professional wins in total, with four of those coming on the PGA Tour. With six top-ten finishes in majors and the proven ability to close against the best in the world, it seems like only a matter of time before a major title lands on his resume.
Other Notable Names
Rickie Fowler certainly brought star power to the top of the leaderboard at the Honda Classic, but there were plenty of big names dotted throughout the rest of the field. Former FedEx Cup Champion Billy Horschel finished in a tie for fourth, along with major winner Martin Kaymer. A tie for 14th place at four-under-par included a number of big names, such as major champions Adam Scott, Graeme McDowell, and Jason Dufner. Another major winner, Louis Oosthuizen, was another shot back at -3. There were also a few notable names to miss out on the weekend at the Honda Classic, including Justin Thomas, Ernie Els, Hudson Swafford, and Keegan Bradley.
Up Next – World Golf Championships in Mexico
From Florida, many of the top players will head to Mexico for the World Golf Championships – Mexico Championship. This even will be played just outside downtown Mexico City at the Club de Golf Chapultepec. In addition to being a rare WGC event held outside of the United States, this tournament will also be notable for the extreme elevation of the course. With an elevation in excess of 7,500 feet, the players will need to quickly adapt to the extra distance afforded by thin air. Once the Mexico Championship has been completed, players will return to Florida to continue to lead up to The Masters.