2026 Cognizant Classic preview: Expert predictions, picks as PGA Tour's Florida Swing begins at PGA National
The PGA Tour kicks off its Florida Swing at the Bear Trap
Through six events of the 2026 PGA Tour season, storylines are bountiful. A multi-time winner, Chris Gotterup has jumped into a new echelon of golf. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler has kept up his torrid pace, while Justin Rose has continued to defy conventional wisdom at age 45. Collin Morikawa broke his winless drought, and Jacob Bridgeman became the year's initial first-time winner at the Genesis Invitational by holding off Rory McIlroy.
But that was the West Coast Swing, and now, the PGA Tour transitions to Florida with the 2026 Cognizant Classic representing the start of four weeks of golf in the Sunshine State. While the names that were supposed to headline the field -- Bridgeman, Ben Griffin and Adam Scott -- bowed out earlier in the week, opportunity still comes knocking at PGA National.
A life-changing moment could be in a young player's future as a wide-open field battles the Bear Trap, which has lost some of its teeth in recent times. With tournament officials choosing to overseed the golf course to provide lush fairways and green scenery, the bite that the venue was once known for has been taken away.
Last season, for example, Jake Knapp fired a 59 on the par 71 while Joe Highsmith won the tournament at 19 under after making the cut on the number. The year prior, Austin Eckroat won on a Monday finish at 17 under, marking the first time since the tournament moved to PGA National that a winner eclipsed 15 under.
This season, good scores should be available once again as Shane Lowry leads a group of veteran players like Keith Mitchell and Brooks Koepka into the field. Meanwhile, young players like Rasmus Højgaard and his twin brother Nicolai look for their first wins on the PGA Tour alongside Michael Thorbjornsen, Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen and Haotong Li, who are also in the mix.
2026 Cognizant Classic schedule
Dates: Feb. 26 - Mar. 1
Location: PGA National Resort (The Champion Course) — Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
Par: 71 | Yardage: 7,223 | Architect: Tom Fazio
Purse: $9,600,000
2026 Cognizant Classic field, odds
Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook
- Shane Lowry (14-1): Despite contending regularly on the PGA Tour, Lowry is without an individual victory on U.S. soil since the WGC Bridgestone Invitational in 2015 -- a tournament that no longer exists ... heck, an event series that no longer exists! He had a great opportunity to get off the schneid in 2022 when he fell just short to Sepp Straka at this tournament, which kicked off a run of four straight top 11 finishes at PGA National. The Irishman has tasted contention in recent weeks, and he lost in Dubai last month due to untimely mistakes on the 72nd hole.
- Ryan Gerard (16-1)
- Nicolai Højgaard (22-1)
- Rasmus Højgaard (22-1)
- Michael Thorbjornsen (22-1): After nearly beating everyone at the WM Phoenix Open, Thorbjornsen got beaten by everyone at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. The young New Englander grabbed the solo lead late at TPC Scottsdale thanks to an eagle, but he then learned the hard way how difficult it is to close out a tournament on the PGA Tour and instead settled for a podium finish. He acquitted himself nicely at PGA National in his debut last season, where he was unable to find his groove on the greens.
- Keith Mitchell (27-1)
- Brooks Koepka (30-1): The Florida kid gets to play in his backyard once again. Nearly a winner at this event the year Mitchell holed a putt on the 72nd hole to hold off both Koepka and Rickie Fowler, Koepka returns this week to make his first start in the tournament since 2022, when he finished T16. The five-time major champion's return to the PGA Tour produced a couple of lackluster starts, but the bones of the operation were solid. Koepka kept up with his peers from tee to green only to be undone by his woeful performance on the greens. With the switch to Bermuda grass out in front of him and the rest of the PGA Tour, he should benefit.
- Christiaan Bezuidenhout (30-1)
- Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen (30-1): American golf fans, get used to hearing this name as the Rasmanian Devil continues to get his feet underneath him in his first PGA Tour season. The young Dane has only played twice on the PGA Tour in 2026 and made both cuts, but he should be frisky in a field of this caliber. Neergaard-Petersen won the Australian Open at Royal Melbourne to end 2025 and has continued to strike the ball beautifully in 2026.
- Aaron Rai (33-1): Was a surprise addition to the proceedings at the Genesis Invitational as Rai got off to a rocky start to his 2026 at venues that should fit his skillset (Waialae Country Club and Pebble Beach). Among the leaders early in the week, the Englishman unfortunately backtracked on Sunday at Riviera outside the top 25, but he showed enough promise to be feeling good heading into this week.
2026 Cognizant Classic picks
| Winner (16-1): He was the breakout candidate in the preseason predictions, and while Gotterup and Bridgeman may have the inside track on that award early, Gerard should give them a good push across the Florida events. Despite the lacking results to this point, the 26-year-old continued to strike the cover off the golf ball at Pebble Beach and Riviera, only to be undone on the greens. Local to these parts, Gerard will find his touch with the putter at PGA National where he has two finishes inside the top 25 in two appearances. | |
| Contender (45-1): One of the easier guys to root for on the PGA Tour, Li looked super comfortable in the early stretch of the season. He claimed a top 10 finish at the American Express before a T11 at the Farmers Insurance Open. Unfortunately, he missed the cut at the WM Phoenix Open to end his chances at qualifying for the next two signature events, but his game remains in a solid spot. Li is driving it great and has a winning pedigree with four DP World Tour wins to his credit. | |
| Sleeper (70-1): For as easy as the Bank of Utah Championship victory looked, Brennan's rookie season on the PGA Tour has been met with some speed bumps. A missed cut at the Sony Open was followed by being disqualified from the Farmers Insurance Open for using improper green-reading material. Still, he turned the corner at TPC Scottsdale, where his play was much better than what the result indicated. His speed has speed, and he can take it deep on easy setups. | |
Who will win the 2026 Cognizant Classic, and which longshots will stun the golfing world? Visit SportsLine now to see the projected leaderboard, all from the model that's nailed 16 golf majors heading into the weekend, and find out.
