Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - PGA TOUR - THE HONDA CLASSIC, PGA National (Champions Course), Palm Beach Gardens, Florida - The PGA Tour finally makes its first trip east this week as The Honda Classic kicks off the Florida swing.
Last year, Michael Thompson topped a strong field as he won by two strokes. Thompson and Luke Guthrie were tied for the lead entering the final round, but Thompson closed with a 1-under 69 to claim his first PGA Tour title a year after sharing second place at the U.S. Open.
Guthrie stumbled to a 3-over 73 to fall into third place. That was easily his best PGA Tour finish of the year.
Thompson followed his win with a share of the eighth at the WGC-Cadillac Championship. He later tied for eighth at The Memorial as well, but hasn't had a top-10 since Jack's place last June.
Last year's field was strong, and this year's is no different. Tiger Woods and Adam Scott, the top two players in the world rankings, headline a group of 13 players from the 25 in the world that are at PGA National this week.
Also competing this week will be Phil Mickelson, who is playing this event for the first time since 2002. Florida residents Peter Uihlein and Brooks Koepka, who have made a name for themselves on the European Tour, both received sponsor invitations to play this week as well.
Just two Americans have survived the Bear Trap, Nos. 15-17, and won this event in the last nine years.
Golf Channel will have television coverage Thursday and Friday and then early coverage on the weekend before handing off to NBC. Golf Channel will continue to air action on Saturday and Sunday as they run concurrent coverage of the Bear Trap during the final two rounds.
The PGA moves to Doral next week for the WGC-Cadillac Championship, where Tiger Woods cruised to a 2-stroke win last year.
EUROPEAN TOUR
TSHWANE OPEN, Cooperleaf Golf & Country Estate, Centurion, South Africa - Dawie Van Der Walt closed with back-to-back 67s last year to earn at 2-stroke win at the Tshwane Open.
The victory was the first on the European Tour for Van Der Walt. After losing his lead early in round, the South African birdied the 12th to regain the lead by himself. He extended his margin with a birdie on No. 15 and then he parred the last three to earn the victory.
This is the eighth event held in South Africa this year. South Africans have win five of the first seven.
Cooperleaf Golf & Country Estate will be the longest in European Tour history playing to 7,964 yards.
Headlining the field will be world No. 53 George Coetzee, who is coming off a quarterfinal loss at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship.
Golf Channel will have early morning coverage of all four rounds.
The European Tour will be back in the United States next week for the WGC- Cadillac Championship, where Woods is the defending champion. The tour returns to action in Morocco the following week with that Trophee Hassan II, where Marcel Siem won last year.
LPGA TOUR
HSBC WOMEN'S CHAMPIONS, Sentosa Golf Club (Serapong Course), Singapore - Stacy Lewis got off to a fast start going 11-under par through two rounds as she went on to win the HSBC Women's Champions by one stroke.
Lewis finished at minus-15, one clear of Na Yeon Choi. For Lewis, it was her sixth LPGA Tour title.
The pair shared the lead at the start of the final round, but Choi shot 72 in the final round to end one back. She had a birdie chance on the final hole, but was unable to convert.
Golf Channel will have live overnight coverage all weekend.
After two weeks off, the tour returns to action on Arizona with the LPGA Founders Cup, where Lewis won by three last year.
Receive your weekly recap of all the happenings around the world of sports.