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Honda Classic: Top 10 power rankings

By Mike Randleman

PALM BEACH GARDENS, FL - FEBRUARY 25: A sign and statue of a bear to mark the three holes known as the bear trap prior to the start of the Honda Classic at PGA National Resort and Spa on February 25, 2014 in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
PALM BEACH GARDENS, FL - FEBRUARY 25: A sign and statue of a bear to mark the three holes known as the bear trap prior to the start of the Honda Classic at PGA National Resort and Spa on February 25, 2014 in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images) /
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PALM BEACH GARDENS, FL – FEBRUARY 21: Rickie Fowler plays during a pro-am for the Honda Classic on February 21, 2018 in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
PALM BEACH GARDENS, FL – FEBRUARY 21: Rickie Fowler plays during a pro-am for the Honda Classic on February 21, 2018 in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /

Rickie Fowler missed the cut at the 2018 Honda Classic, but don’t let that fool you: The Jupiter resident looks to be a solid pick this week.

He rolled to a four-shot victory in 2017 when he posted 66-66-65-71.

“Yeah, it’s definitely nice to be back here,” Fowler said in 2018. “This is a golf course I love to play, especially on days like this. It’s a tough golf course without wind, and when it picks up, it’s even more so. I feel like it’s a place that it demands your full attention at all times. There’s never really a pushover shot. Yet, like I said, demands your full attention.”

Fowler’s win adds to a Honda Classic resume that lists nine starts, three top-10s (including a T6 in 2016) and six made cuts. Two of his MCs were as a youngster in 2010 and ‘11.

The 30-year-old is also a recent winner on Tour. Fowler hung on to win the Phoenix Open for his third top-10 of the 2018-19 season. He took T36 at last week’s WGC-Mexico and played the weekend in 68-71.

Fowler is still an aggressive player (fourth in birdie percentage), but is better at picking his spots. While it’s not always the case on Sundays, he’s normally good at shaking off mistakes, which will happen around PGA National. Fowler is 22nd in bounceback percentage.

He’s also fourth in par-4 scoring and 10th in strokes gained putting.

Fowler is off to a bad start to the season with his short game at 125th in strokes gained around the green, but being in the top 40 each of the past three seasons leads one to believe he’ll get more tidy as the year goes on.

This will be just his fourth start of 2019 and second since his win in Arizona to begin the month.

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