Philadelphia, PA -- (Sports Network) - PGA TOUR - HONDA CLASSIC, PGA National Resort and Spa - Champion Course, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida - The first weekend of March means the PGA Tour has moved east and begins its countdown for the Masters.

First up this year, with the schedule rearranged from last year, is the Honda Classic. After opening with an even-par 72 last year, Luke Donald carded three straight rounds in the 60s to down Geoff Ogilvy by two strokes.

Donald is on hand to defend his crown this week against a field that includes newly crowned WGC - Accenture Match Play champion Henrik Stenson. Stenson managed to defeat Ogilvy, who won the Match Play crown last year.

While 64 of the top 65 players in the world rankings were competing at the Match Play, the remainder of the PGA Tour was in Mexico for the first time and that field was taken down by 50-year-old Fred Funk.

Funk is due in town this week, too, but could have to withdraw due to his back. Funk had his back worked on on the course Saturday, but toughed it out for a playoff win.

Joining Donald, Stenson and Funk in the field this week are 17 other players who competed in the Match Play, including world No. 2 Jim Furyk. Also competing at PGA National are the six previous winners before Donald and nine of the last 11 champions in all.

Last year, the Honda Classic was the second stop in Florida following the Ford Championship at Doral. That event has morphed into the next World Golf Championships event, the CA Championship, which is in three weeks.

The Golf Channel will have the opening two rounds before handing off to the NBC sports team for the weekend.

Next week, the tour moves to Tampa Bay for the PODS Championship. K.J. Choi won that title in October when the event was known at the Chrysler Championship.

EUROPEAN TOUR

JOHNNIE WALKER CLASSIC, Blue Canyon Country Club, Phuket, Thailand - While 19 players from last week's WGC - Accenture Match Play Championship moved on to Florida this week, nine flew half way around the world to Thailand for the Johnnie Walker Classic.

Three of the top ten players in the world -- Adam Scott, Ernie Els and Retief Goosen -- headline a field that is minus the defending champion. All three of those players have won this title before.

Kevin Stadler, who fired four rounds in the 60s last year to win by two strokes, is playing on the PGA Tour this week.

This event was played in Australia last year and returns to Phuket for the first time since 1998. That year, Tiger Woods bested Els in a playoff with Goosen finishing one stroke behind.

Goosen, who led by a remarkable 13 strokes after 54 holes en route to an eight-stroke win in 2002, will look to join Woods and Els as the only multiple winners here.

Paul Casey, who claimed the Abu Dhabi Championship back in January, will also be in Phuket this week along with Asian favorites Thongchai Jaidee, Thaworn Wiratchant and Prom Meesawat as well as 2003 Masters champion Mike Weir. The Canadian will be making his first appearance in this event.

The Golf Channel will have tape-delayed coverage of all four rounds.

Next week, the European Tour heads to Singapore for the Singapore Masters, where Mardan Mamat held off 2005 winner Nick Dougherty by one stroke last year.