The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Steele has Honda Classic edge as several big names miss cut
Brendan Steele made a couple of big mistakes down the stretch but still was more than good enough to grab the outright lead at the midpoint of The Honda Classic.
Steele shot a 3-under 67 on Friday, getting to 5-under for the week and putting himself a shot clear of J.T. Poston (69), Lee Westwood (69) and Luke Donald (66) after the second round at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
This is Steele’s ninth time playing the Honda and the first time he’s ended any round at PGA National with the lead. He missed the cut last year by 10 shots, but most of what he’s doing so far this year has worked — that is, until he made bogey on two of his last three holes Friday.
“My first few years here I couldn’t quite figure it out,” Steele said. “I thought maybe it wasn’t a good course for me . ... I don’t feel like it’s a course you can just jump out your first time and have it nailed. You have to see it in all the different winds and conditions that you have.”
The cut was 3-over, and most of the biggest names in the field aren’t sticking around for the weekend. Among them: Brooks Koepka, Rickie Fowler, Justin Rose and defending champion Keith Mitchell. Koepka shot a 4-over 74 for the second consecutive day and missed the cut by five shots. Fowler (68) missed an eagle putt at the par-5 18th that would have gotten him to the weekend and fell a shot shy, Rose (74) was 6-over and missed by three shots, while Mitchell
(72) missed by five shots.
“You can rack up some big numbers pretty quick,” Koepka said.
Steele missed a chance for a victory in January in Hawaii, falling to Cameron Smith in a playoff after taking a three-stroke lead into the final round.
U.S. Open champion Gary Woodland put himself squarely in the mix with a 67 and thinks there’s a simple reason why tough courses like PGA National appeal to him.
“I think it’s definitely mental,” Woodland said. “I probably focus a little bit more.”
Woodland was tied for fifth at 3-under with Sepp Straka (67), Cameron Davis (67) and Nick Watney (66).
TIGER SKIPPING BAY HILL: Tiger Woods is taking a third straight week off by deciding against playing the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill in Orlando.
Woods hasn’t played since his 76-77 weekend at Riviera, where he finished 68th in the Genesis Invitational while serving as tournament host. He decided against the World Golf Championship in Mexico City the following week, saying his back was stiff and he needed time to rest and train.
Woods is an eight-time winner at Bay Hill. He has played it only once since his last Arnold Palmer Invitational victory in 2013, including four straight years while going through surgeries on his back.
Koepka committed to Bay Hill on Friday. He missed the cut at the Honda Classic and said he plans to play the next four weeks through the Match Play in Texas. That would give him a week off before the Masters.