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The PGA Tour is currently headed to Scottsdale for the 2023 WM Phoenix Open. Two weeks from this, the American circuit will be at the PGA National for the Honda Classic. Ahead of the event’s announcements, several top names, including five past champions, have come forward to commit to the same.
Billy Horschel is set to headline the upcoming Honda Classic. The World No.19 golfer became one of the early players to commit to the event. He joined the likes of the 2020 Honda Champion Sung-Jae Im and 27th-ranked Sepp Straka. Apart from this, past Honda champions including Padraig Harrington (2015, 2005), Michael Thompson (2013), Rory Sabbatini (2011) and Camilo Villegas (2010), have all agreed to compete at the event.
It is pertinent to note that the 2023 Honda Classic will take place from February 23-26. The tournament, which will follow the Genesis Open, is expected to have a stacked field. Now, weeks before its start, several players have already committed to partaking in the tournament.
Billy Horschel on competing in the Honda Classic
Addressing the early commitment, Billy Horschel said he was looking forward to the Honda Classic. The golfer stated that he wished to win the event, despite having competition from several players ranked in the top 20 in the world in contention.
Speaking about the Honda Classic, Horschel said, as quoted by Golf Week:
“There’s a lot of goals I haven’t checked off and I’ve always wanted to win in the state of Florida, obviously more than once, but before my career is over. I would love to win and hope it is the Honda Classic this year that gets me that first one.”
Horschel, who has seven career PGA Tour victories, first announced his decision to play in the Honda event back in October. He said:
“I like playing a lot of the same places. I like going to places that I enjoy the course, enjoy the fans and support I get, enjoy the tournament directors and the staff that puts on the tournament.”
Having competed in the event 10 times, Horschel is a veteran at the Honda Classic. The golfer’s best result in the competition came in 2017 when he finished tied for fourth, five shots behind champion Rickie Fowler.
Speaking about the competition involved, he added:
“It requires a player who is on top of their game. You can’t fake it around PGA National. I’ve always enjoyed playing that golf course. It requires a little bit extra than other PGA Tour courses that we play.”
For the unversed, the 2023 Honda Classic will take place at the PGA National from February 23 to 26. The event will be sandwiched between four PGA Tour events, with at least $20 million in prize money, adding to its demand.
Much like the WM Phoenix Open, Genesis Invitational, and the Arnold Palmer Invitational and Players Championship, the Honda Classic is expected to feature some of the top names on the PGA Tour.
