‘Beware of the Sick Golfer’: Billy Horschel Turns Weakness Into Strength At Honda Classic

Billy Horschel is tied for lead at the Honda Classic with his 5-under round of 65, but don’t let the low score fool you. Horschel was not in the best shape on Thursday.

He may have survived the treacherous Bear Trap, but Horschel told the media following his first round at PGA National that he’s battling a bad sinus infection, and the Florida Gator even visited the doctor earlier in the week to get it checked out.

Despite his energy levels remaining low, Horschel made six birdies, three on both his front and back nines, to take a share of the lead along with Joseph Bramlett. Pierceson Coody, Justin Suh, and Carson Young were tied at 4-under when play was suspended due to darkness at 6:18 p.m ET.

When a player reveals they’re coping with a physical ailment, there’s a common instinct among fans of the game: to count them out.

Horschel, however, made a fascinating point following his round on Thursday that argues quite the opposite. The 36-year-old is channeling his illness into a carefree mindset.

“Yeah, there’s a saying: Beware of the injured or sick golfer,” Horschel said. “I’m not like super, super sick, but I’m just not like a hundred percent.”

“You’re a little bit easier on yourself. You’re sort of not worrying about everything. I guess you can just say you always got to be aware of the injured or sick golfer.”

Horschel reveals a common phenomenon in the mental side of the game. Have you ever had an unsettling warm-up session before your round, just to go out and shoot a surprisingly great score? Horschel’s comments mirror that concept: When expectations are low, we put less pressure on ourselves and oftentimes, we perform better.

Horschel’s relaxed mindset might be heightened by the fact that he’s playing a home game. It’s Horschel’s 11th Honda Classic appearance, and PGA National’s Champion Course is just 90 miles from Grant, Fla., the small town in which he grew up.

“Being born and raised in the state of Florida, it’s one of those things where you want to play Florida events. You want to represent your state. You want to represent where you’re born and raised and hopefully play well,” Horschel said in his pre-tournament press conference. “It’s no different than anybody who’s from Texas or California or even like Jon Rahm playing the Spanish Open representing his country when they have tournaments over there.”

Horschel hopes to tick off a win in his home state for the first time this week, and he’ll keep that possibility in mind whether his health improves or not.