Everything you needed to know about the Honda Classic, even if you didn't know you needed to know it
Greg O'Mahony of Tequesta was among the four qualifiers Monday for the 40th annual Honda, the longest-tenured sponsorship on the PGA Tour.
A graduate of Jupiter High, O'Mahony shot 5-under-par 66, tied for second behind Australian Aron Price, the medallist with 65.
Others at 66 to round out the four-spot open qualifier were Josh Broadaway of Dothan, Ala., and David Bradshaw of Harpers Ferry, W.Va.
Like O'Mahony, Broadaway and Bradshaw will also be making their first PGA Tour starts.
O'Mahony has won 17 mini-tour events since graduating from Nova Southeastern University in Davie, where he was a three-time NAIA All-American.
"What's not to be excited about," he asked. "It's a home game. I've played the Champion course 30 times in competition."
Cell phones quietly please.
For the first time, cell phones will be permitted but only in restricted, specially designated areas such as around concession stands and in the usual off-course locales like the clubhouse, pro shop, hotel and parking lots.
In other words, before you get to PGA National this week, know where the mute button is and how to use it.
With your cell phone turned off or at least muted, incoming calls will not be disruptive and can be answered later when you go get a soda pop.
On course, you may receive and send text messages and check data.
Texting must cease when your friendly neighborhood marshal raises his "Quiet" sign.
Photos with mobile devices were permitted only through Wednesday and no video recording is allowed at any time on any day.
Being this is Wednesday, it's the Kenny G celebrity pro-amateur on the Champion course with two name-dropping pairings.
At 8:50 a.m. it was baseball's Gary Carter with footballers Joe Theismann, Jay Feely and Nat Moore.
This afternoon, at 12:40, we had Gold Pro-Am host Kenny G., tournament host Jack Nicklaus, U-F's most recent Heisman Trophy winner, Tim Tebow, and former Dolphin defensive end/linebacker, now New York Jet Jason Taylor.
The serious stuff starts Thursday with 144 PGA Tour players out for their share of the $5.7 million purse, $1 million of which goes to the winner.
It's the first time the Honda champion will receive a seven-figure check.
It's the fifth year the Honda has been played on The Champ and the last three winners will be in the field: defending champion Camilo Villegas of Colombia and Jupiter, Korean Y.E. Yang, the 2009 winner, and 2008 champ Ernie Els, also a Jupiter resident.
Of the four Hondas played across the street at the CC at Mirasol, only the first and last of those titlists will be here: 2003 champion Justin Leonard and Luke Donald, another parttime resident of Jupiter whose last win on the PGA Tour prior to Sunday's Accenture Match Play was the 2006 Honda Classic.
A week-long pass costs $95. Daily tickets are $5 more at the gate than if purchased in advance: $30 today, $35 Thursday and Friday, $45 Saturday and Sunday.
General parking will be at Dyer Park on Haverhill just south of the Beeline, preferred parking in a lot at Jog Road and Hood Road, north of Mirasol.
Shuttle buses will run frequently from both lots to PGA National Resort & Spa. Concerts are scheduled after tournament play Thursday through Sunday starting at 6 p.m.
The tournament will be televised Thursday through Sunday, 3-6 p.m., the first two rounds on The Golf Channel, the last two on WPTV (Ch. 5).
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