The Honda Classic is much more than ‘The Bear Trap’

PGA National’s signature test is a three-hole span on the back nine called “The Bear Trap,” named for Jack Nicklaus and touted as one of the most demanding stretches in all of golf.

The par-3 15th, with water down the right side. The par-4 16th, with the approach over water. The par-3 17th, over water again with a green that’s sloped toward trouble. Oh, and the wind is almost always swirling on that part of the golf course.

They’re daunting on a good day, diabolical on a bad day. And to win The Honda Classic, which starts Thursday at PGA National, one needs to worry about much more than those three holes.

The Bear Trap is one thing. The rest of PGA National, that’s a bear, too.

“There’s no easy hole out there,” defending champion Keith Mitchell said.

The numbers make that abu n dantly clear. PGA N ational ranked as the fifth-tou ghest course to play on the PGA Tour last season, behind tracks that played host to four of what were supposed to be among the year’s toughest tournaments. The PGA Championship at Bethpage had players, on average, shooting 2.5 shots over par per round. The U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, nearly 1.4 shots over par. The World Golf Championships event in China at Sheshan International, 1.3 shots over par. And the British Open at Royal Portrush, 1.2 shots over par.

Next up? The Honda, where players were just over a full shot past par in every round last season. And that meant it was easier than in 2018, when PGA National was the second toughest on tour behind only the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills.

“It’s a hard golf course,” said 2019 U.S. Open cham- pion Gary Woodland. “I think that benefits me. Scores

never going to get too low. Obviously, it’s a lot weather-depending. But it’s one of the most mentally demanding golf courses I think we face all year. There’s a lot of shots, especially coming down the back nine, that you just have to step up and hit shots. There’s really no bailout.”

There are a few safe bets for this week at the Honda:

Nobody is going to run away with the tournament, and it’ll be a shock if someone leaves town Sunday night after carding four rounds in the 60s.

This will be the 14th time that the Honda is played on PGA National’s Champion course; in the previous 13, four titles were decided in playoffs and only twice did the winner prevail by more than two shots. Nobody had four rounds in the 60s last year or in 2018; only seven players pulled off that feat between 2010 and 2017.