By Greg Robertson
ESPN Golf Online
Saturday, March 11

Details
When	Thursday-Sunday, March 9-12
Course	TPC at Heron Bay
Where	Coral Springs, Fla.
1999 champion	Vijay Singh
Purse	$2.9 million (Winner: $522,000)
Yardage/Par	7,268 yards, par 72
Tournament record	266, 22-under (Blaine McCallister, 1989)
Television	Thursday-Friday: 4-6 p.m. (USA) Saturday-Sunday, 3-6 p.m. ET (NBC)

The tournament

	Hole by hole
	Hole	Par	Yards
	1	4	391
	2	4	431
	3	4	389
	4	5	602
	5	3	187
	6	4	470
	7	4	390
	8	3	207
	9	5	566
	Out	36	3633
	10	4	408
	11	3	179
	12	4	470
	13	4	357
	14	5	573
	15	3	222
	16	5	534
	17	4	442
	18	4	450
	In	36	3635
	Total	72	7268
	Key holes: The wind is the key to Heron Bay, where gusts can change holes from day to day. No. 15 is a long par-3 which can require anything from a 4-iron to 3-wood depending on the wind, making hitting the green an accomplishment. It is sandwiched around a pair of lengthy par-5s which usually make the difference on Sunday.

The PGA Tour continues its march toward The Masters with the second of four consecutive weeks in Florida, but the Honda Classic is clearly the weakest link on the Florida swing.

Just three players in the top 10 in the World Rankings and six in the top 30 are in the field. Nothing against this event, but the schedule makes Honda the easiest to skip for the top players. Coming off a big finish to the West Coast swing and leading up to the special Bay Hill Invitational and Players Championship, Honda isn't as attractive to the stars.

It has also lost its glamour for the mid-range players because of a change in the requirements to get into The Masters. That field is now set in stone, and a victory at the Honda Classic will do nothing to get a player into the year's first major.

Last year's Honda Classic was the perfect example of veteran vs. rookie, and the results were not surprising. Eric Booker took a two-shot lead into the final round, but the pressure of chasing his first victory, 40 mph gusts and the pursuit by major championship winners Vijay Singh and Payne Stewart were too much for Booker to handle.

Booker actually held up well for most of the round, but a double-bogey at the difficult 16th and bogeys on the 17th and 18th knocked him into a tie for third. Singh, meanwhile, shot a final-round 69 -- the best round in the field on the windy day -- to claim the eighth title of his career.

What happens at this year's event all depends on the wind. Singh last year and Stuart Appleby in 1997 overcame extremely difficult conditions to win. Other years have been calm, and the scores have been good. If the calm days found last week at Doral continue this week up the Florida coast, look for some low numbers.

A dozen players to watch
Stephen Ames: Still seeking his first PGA Tour win, Ames has contended several times this season, including last week at Doral where he posted a course-record 61 on Friday and finished eighth. His first win on the European Tour came in windy conditions, so the weather shouldn't hurt his game.

Stuart Appleby: The 1997 champion of this event, Appleby has played his best when the conditions are the worst. In three stroke-play tournaments this season, he has finished second, 15th and 18th.

Mark Calcavecchia: His hopes of a Masters berth are gone, so Calcavecchia might actually play a little looser. His victory here in 1998 was the last time he won on the PGA Tour.

Edward Fryatt: A PGA Tour rookie, Fryatt put himself in the record books last week with eight consecutive birdies during the second round at Doral. And it wasn't a fluke. He picked up the first top-10 finish of his career with a tie for ninth.

Jim Furyk: Furyk played one of the best final rounds in recent memory to win at Doral last week, making six birdies on the back nine Sunday to chase down Franklin Langham and win his fifth career title. He is clearly the hottest player in the tournament.

Tim Herron: Herron plays his best golf in Florida, having won this event in 1996 and the Bay Hill Invitational last year. His 2000 season has been lackluster so far, but a return to the site of a victory should get his game in gear.

Davis Love III: The highest-ranked player in the field, Love has gone almost two years without a victory. He's playing well again in 2000, having played just one round over par in 17 rounds. He's finished fourth twice, including at the Match Play Championship.

Blaine McCallister: The veteran was forced back to Q-School last year, and he emerged as the medalist. He's made four of six cuts this year, but has finished no better than 37th. He does hold the Honda tournament record, however, at 22-under in 1989.

Steve Pate: Normally a strong player on the West Coast, Pate struggled this year, making just two of four cuts and losing in the first round at the Match Play. But like McCallister, he is a former champion here and could jumpstart his season.

Vijay Singh: The 1999 champion had a pair of top-10 finishes on the West Coast, but hasn't been very consistent. He shared the lead early at Doral, then fired weekend rounds of 73 and 75 to fall well back. But he proved last year he can handle Heron Bay.

Hal Sutton: Mr. Consistency had a solid West Coast, finishing fourth in Phoenix, fifth at the Bob Hope and reaching the quarterfinals at the Match Play. His strength is his iron play, which will help if the wind starts to blow.

Mike Weir: Weir quietly had a terrific West Coast swing, picking up a fourth at the Mercedes, seventh at Pebble Beach and 10th at Phoenix. Since his first win last year in Vancouver, his confidence level has risen tenfold.