Round 2, The Honda Classic

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Mar. 6, 2009
By PGATOUR.COM staff

The first group will soon tee off in today's second round of The Honda Classic. Here's how it sets up:

Groups We're Watching

Tee time	Players
7:54 am ET No. 1		Boo Weekley, Brandt Snedeker, Robert Allenby First-round leader Allenby got off to a hot start and often contends here. Can he take another big step toward a victory? Track 'em
12:34 pm ET No. 10		J.B. Holmes, Angel Cabrera, Scott Verplank Holmes averaged 321 yards per drive Thursday, Verplank averaged 282. Their approaches into the greens are wildly different, too. Track 'em
12:43 am ET No. 10		Davis Love III, Stewart Cink, Chris DiMarco After finishing third at the Accenture, Cink had a hellish trip east yet opened with a 67. Now that he's settled, can he soar? Track 'em

EXPERT PREVIEW: PGA TOUR Network on-site correspondent Bob Stevens previews Friday's second round:

Everyone knows it's windy: As it always seems to be, the weather, and more specifically the wind, will be the issue in Round 2. The leaderboard will continue to look like nearby I-95 through construction at rush hour unless the wind dies down.

Friday's forecast

Mostly Sunny
Temp: 76 high/59 low
It will be mostly sunny, but windy throughout the day. Winds will come out of the east at 10 to 20 mph.

The wind is expected to soften some on Friday and even more over the weekend, and if it does, look for someone to at least threaten the course record, which is only 6-under 64 (by Luke Donald in the opening round last year). The players tell me the greens are perfect and the rough is down, so if the wind cooperates, we might see some separation on Friday.

Don't get the big head: Steve Marino played Thursday in a typical pro's ensemble -- olive-shaded pants and a conservative striped shirt that matched -- but he also wore a Carolina blue hat from his Cleveland club sponsor. Unless the University of Virginia alum had lost a bet with a friend (not at all unlikely), I thought his combo a fashion disaster until I remembered something he'd told me during the practice round Wednesday.

Cleveland doesn't make a hat to fit his head (yes, its a larger size), so he wears hats they made for Woody Austin and even have "Woody" embroidered on the back. So we'll cut Steve a little sartorial slack and hope Cleveland catches up before Marino's ready to tip that cap in victory at the 18th hole on a Sunday soon.

Talk about perseverance: David Mathis finally made it to the PGA TOUR this year at age 34 after years on the mini tours and finally had enough success on the Nationwide Tour to get his card. He'd never made a cut until this year, but now has made 5-for-5, and after an opening 68 is likely to make it 6-for-6.

He credits finding a teacher he believed in who promised to take him to the next level. And trust me, nobody appreciates the opportunity more than David, even at his "advanced" age. He's not too old to be named Rookie of the Year.

The one stat(s) you need to know

First-round leader Robert Allenby is well on his way to posting his 30th consecutive made cut, which would tie him the PGA TOUR lead with Tiger Woods. Allenby is making his ninth Honda Classic start, with three top-5 finishes (tied for fifth in 2007, tied for fourth in 2008, tied for fourth in 2004) to his credit.

NOTEWORTHY NUGGETS:

• Shaun Micheel, making his first PGA TOUR start since having left shoulder surgery after missing the cut last year in Memphis, opened with an even-par 70. The winner of the 2003 PGA Championship has 13 events to earn $694,924, which coupled with 2008 earnings of $157,828, would equal No. 125 from the 2008 money list and earn a Major Medical Extension status for the remainder of the 2009 season.

• Charlie Wi posted five birdies in a row (Nos. 18-4) on his way to a 3-under 67 on Thursday. That streak fell just one shy of the tournament's best birdie streak of six, set by Fred Couples in the first round in 1985.

• The last first-round leader/co-leader to carry that lead to the winner's circle here was Justin Leonard in 2003, when he carded an opening 63 en route to a one-shot win over Davis Love III and Chad Campbell.

• The first-round leader/co-leader has gone on to win four of eight stroke-play events on the PGA TOUR this season, most recently by Phil Mickelson at the Northern Trust Open.

Thus far at PGA National

Round	Leader	Low round (par 70)	Key links
	Robert Allenby (-4)	66: Robert Allenby	Daily Wrap-Up \| Live Report Dolch column \| Notebook

The Film Room

	PGA TOUR Today Win McMurry updates action from the first round of the 2009 Honda Classic and previews what to watch for in the second round. Watch it
	Shot of the day Robert Allenby made a great recovery from the pond on the par-4 sixth hole during Thursday's opening round of the 2009 Honda Classic. Watch it
	Round 1 highlights Robert Allenby leads by one after the windy opening round of the 2009 Honda Classic. Watch it