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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 24: Webb Simpson and Paul lines up his putt on the 18th green during the third round of the Honda Classic at PGA National Resort and Spa on February 24, 2018 in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
PALM BEACH GARDENS, FL – FEBRUARY 24: Webb Simpson and Paul lines up his putt on the 18th green during the third round of the Honda Classic at PGA National Resort and Spa on February 24, 2018 in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /

Webb Simpson is a reliable pick just about any week. One of the Tour’s more consistent players has top-20s in six of his last seven starts going back to the fall.

He also comes to the Florida swing relatively fresh as he didn’t play any California events and teed it up just three times in 2019. He posted T8 at the Tournament of Champions, T20 at the Phoenix Open and a T39 last week at the WGC-Mexico.

Simpson’s played the Honda Classic just four times with missed cuts in 2009 and 2010 preceding a T24 in 2011 and a T5 in 2018 where he was in contention. Simpson fired 66-72-66-72, which leads me to believe if last year was a five-round tournament another 66 would have landed him the title at 10-under.

Webb’s short game and putter (over seven total strokes gained on the greens) helped him stay in the hunt in 2018.

Simpson’s a pretty calm, collected player out there and seems equipped to handle the mental aggravation that can doom some players at PGA National.

“I think you’ve got to be smarter here than most places we play. There’s some times where you have a perfect number over water to a tucked pin and you’re tempted to go five feet left of it when you need to go 15 feet left of it,” Simpson said in 2018. “So you’ll hear it a lot this week but I think you’ve got to avoid the big numbers, take your medicine and rely on your short game. You’re going to miss greens here. There’s rough off the fairway and you’re going to miss greens, so who can kind of manage their game the best..”

In 19 rounds measured in 2018-19, Simpson is in the positive in all main strokes gained categories. The highlight has been his iron play, which ranks him third in SG approach. He’s 18th in greens in regulation.

Simpson’s also ninth in par-4 scoring.

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