Welcome all to another week of Hittin’ the Links. Down in Florida, Rickie Fowler took home some serious hardware with a four-shot Honda Classic victory over Hoffman and Woodland. He held a sizable lead throughout most of his final round despite a few hiccups.
We’ll also check in on the PGA Tour’s first trip south of the border for the
WGC-Mexico Open – who’s in, who’s out, and what the players who do show will be up against. All that, plus a look at some old shoes, more Rory McIlroy news, and what Pat Perez said that got Tiger fans upset.
Let’s hit the links!
Hole #1: Rickie Fowler Wins Honda Classic
Fowler didn’t exactly coast through his Sunday round, and his nerves probably were’t steady after a water ball on 17, but a four-shot win for one of the best players in the world is always an impressive feat. [Link]
Hole #2: The Atypical Challenge of Playing in Mexico City
The PGA Tour heads to Mexico next week for the WGC-Mexico Championship, the first Tour event ever played at the Club de Golf Chapultepec. The course sits nearly 8,000 feet above sea level, which should pose an interesting challenge. [Link]
Hole #3: Day Withdraws from Mexico Event
One player who won’t be teeing it up in Mexico is Jason Day, who had an assortment of ailments and infections that will keep him at home for the week. [Link]
Hole #4: Palmer’s Shoes Sell for Insane Amount
The pair of shoes that Arnold Palmer wore to win the 1958 Masters sold for $66,000 recently. That’s nearly six times the amount Palmer earned for winning the tournament. [Link]
Hole #5: McIlroy Issues Statement on Playing Golf with Trump
Rory McIlroy found himself in some hot water among some people for playing golf with Donald Trump this week. [Link]
Hole #6: Pat Perez on Tiger Woods
“He knows he can’t beat anybody. He knows it. The guy shot 77 [on Feb. 2 during the first round of the Dubai Desert Classic]. That guy can’t shoot 77. What does he do the next day? Ah, my back’s gone. He knows he can’t beat anybody. I told you! He’s not going to come out and play, and play poorly. I said this how many months ago? He’s not going to do it for a long time.” [Link]
Hole #7: Johnny Miller on Rickie Fowler
Said Miller: “Obviously a win is a win, but you’ve got to learn to finish out Sundays like a true champion. He hasn’t learned how to do that yet.” [Link]
Hole #8: Billy Horschel Says He Would Have Skipped WGC-Mexico
Billy Horschel says he would have skipped the WGC-Mexico Championship, had he qualified. He needed to finish second or better at the Honda to make it into the field, but a bogey on the final hole at the Honda held him back. [Link]
Hole #9: Weekly Woods Wrap-up
S.I. chronicled Tiger as a young golfer playing on the public courses of Orange County. [Link]