Honda Classic Winners and History

The Honda Classic

The Honda Classic was founded in 1972 as Jackie Gleasons’ Inverrary Classic. Gleason was a marquee name, a staple of the television variety shows of the time, and best remembered today as bus driver Ralph Cramden in The Honeymooners tv series and Minnesota Fats in the Paul Newman movie, The Hustler. His was one of a number of celebrity hosted tournaments, including the Crosby Clambake (now the AT&T National Pro Am), the Bob Hope, and the Glenn Campbell (now the Northern Trust).

American Motors served as title sponsor for one year (1981). In 1982, Honda began its long-running sponsorship of the tournament.

Jackie Gleason At The Gleason Inverrary Classic now the Honda Classic

 

The Gleason was originally held at the Inverrary Golf Club in Lauderhill, Florida. In 1984, it moved to the TPC Eagle Trace in Coral Springs, Florida. From 1992 to 1995, it was held at the Weston Hills Golf and Country Club, then it was back to Eagle Trace for one year (1996). The TPC at Heron Bay hosted from 1997 to 2002. In 2003, the event moved to Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, first at the Country Club at Mirasol through 2006, then starting in 2007 at PGA National Resort and Spa’s Champion Course. The move to PGA National was apparently in part an effort to attract more top players. That course is well regarded on Tour.

As of 2007 one of the tournament’s main beneficiaries is the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation, which is chaired by Barbara Nicklaus, wife of golfing legend Jack Nicklaus. Having the Nicklaus name attached to a tournament also can’t hurt.

Four men were multiple winners at the Honda:

Jack Nicklaus: 1977, 1978
Johnny Miller: 1980, 1983
Mark Calcavecchia: 1987, 1998
Pádraig Harrington: 2005, 2015

Nicklaus won three if you count his 1976 victory at the Players Championship which was held at the Jackie Gleason site at Inverrary.

Honda Classic Records

  • 18-hole score: 61 (Brian Harman/R2/2012)
  • 72-hole score: 264 (Justin Leonard/2003)
  • Largest margin of victory: 5 (Jack Nicklaus/1977, Camilo Villegas/2010)
  • Best come-from-behind win: 7 (Padraig Harrington/2005)
  • Playoffs: 9 (most recent: Justin Thomas def. Luke List/2018)
  • Low round scores are held by Dan Pohl (1989), Hale Irwin (1979), Tim Herron (1996) and Jerry Kelly (2003)—all at 62.

A list of Honda Classic winners follows.

YearPlayerScoreTo par
The Honda Classic
2023Chris Kirk266-14
2022Sepp Straka270-10
2021Matt Jones268-12
2020Im Sung-jae274-1
2019Keith Mitchell271-9
2018Justin Thomas272-8
2017Ricky Fowler268-12
2016Adam Scott271-9
2015Pádraig Harrington (2)274-6
2014Russell Henley272-9
2014Russell Henley272-9
2012Rory McIlroy268-12
2013Michael Thompson271-9
2010Camilo Villegas267-13
2009Y.E. Yang271-9
2008Ernie Els274-6
2007Mark Wilson275-5
2006Luke Donald276-12
2005Pádraig Harrington274-14
2004Todd Hamilton276-12
2003Justin Leonard264-24
2002Matt Kuchar269-19
Honda Classic
2001Jesper Parnevik270-18
2000Dudley Hart269-19
1999Vijay Singh277-11
1998Mark Calcavecchia270-18
1997Stuart Appleby274-14
1996Tim Herron271-17
1995Mark O’Meara275-9
1994Nick Price276-8
1993Fred Couples207*-9
1992Corey Pavin273-15
1991Steve Pate279-9
1990John Huston282-6
1989Blaine McCallister266-22
1988Joey Sindelar276-12
1987Mark Calcavecchia279-9
1986Kenny Knox287-1
1985Curtis Strange275-13
1984Bruce Lietzke280-8
Honda Inverrary
Classic
1983Johnny Miller278-10
1982Hale Irwin269-19
American Motors
Inverrary Classic
1981Tom Kite274-14
Jackie Gleason-
Inverrary Classic
1980Johnny Miller274-14
1979Larry Nelson274-14
1978Jack Nicklaus276-12
1977Jack Nicklaus275-13
1976No tournament.
Inverrary hosts
The Players Championship.
See below:
1976Jack Nicklaus269-19
1975Bob Murphy273-15
1974Leonard Thompson278-10
Jackie Gleason
Inverrary-
National Airlines
Classic
1973Lee Trevino279-9
Jackie Gleason’s
Inverrary Classic
1972Tom Weiskopf278-10

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1 thought on “Honda Classic Winners and History”

  1. It’s hard to believe this tournament hasn’t been able to attract the big names in recent years. Especially given the history and the calibre of previous winners including Nicklaus, Miller, Els, Singh and Couples to name just a few.

    No doubt the organisers will be pleased to have both McIlroy and Woods on show this week.

    I’m looking forward to it.

    Reply

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