PREVIEW: 2024 PGA Tour – Cognizant Classic

2024 US PGA Tour
Cognizant Classic
PGA National Champion Course
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
29 February – 3 November

The PGA Tour has really turned on the sentiment this year. First, it was amateur Nick Dunlap who stole people’s hearts with his unheralded victory at the American Express. And this weekend it was left to former bouncer Jake Knapp to pull on the heartstrings.

He took advantage of an understrength Mexican Open field to claim his maiden PGA Tour title in some style. I love the fact that the PGA Tour is still able to generate these fairytale narratives.

The Cognizant Classic

In any event, the tour moves from Mexico to the Sunshine State for the first of four events in the Florida Swing: the Cognizant Classic. You may be asking- what on earth is the Cognizant Classic? It is just the latest incarnation of the Honda Classic (originally known as the Jackie Gleason Inverrary Classic).

Honda severed ties with the event after 42 years and Cognizant will be the new sponsor. However, some things haven’t changed, with the formidable PGA National Champion Course preparing to host this event for the 18th straight season.

The PGA National Champion Course

Designed by Tom and George Fazio, the Champion Course opened its gates back in 1981. This parkland course is one of the most well-regarded venues on the tour (hosting the 1983 Ryder Cup and the 1987 PGA Championship).

This strategic test requires accurate approach play and excellent scrambling. The plentiful water hazards and fiendish bunkering make this one of the tour’s toughest non-Major tests on the calendar. In fact, only six players have gone double-digits under par since 2007 (including last year’s winner Chris Kirk).

The fast Tifeagle Bermuda greens also require a great degree of finesse. Holes 15-17, known affectionately as the ‘Bear Trap’, have put pay to many contenders over the years. This is a course that won’t be bullied and will test the players’ entire repertoire.

While it is not a links course per se, PGA National is an exposed and wind-affected venue that links exponents tend to thrive in.

The Contenders

This event has lost some razzmatazz over the last few years but Rory is back to rectify that situation. Playing here for the first time since 2018, the 2012 champion will add some much-needed star power this year.

The Northern Irishman has disappointed in the opening salvos of this year’s PGA season and he will be hoping to get his game in good working order ahead of the Players and Augusta. He leads a strong European contingent this week that features the likes of Matthew Fitzpatrick and Shane Lowry.

There are also plenty of previous winners outside of McIlroy, with the likes of Sungjae Im and Russell Henely looking to grab a second title here. Defending champion Chris Kirk enjoyed a cathartic victory here last season and I’m sure he will enjoy enthusiastic support this time around.

Past Winners

2023: Chris Kirk (-14) *playoff
2022: Sepp Straka (-10)
2021: Matt Jones (-12)
2020: Sung-jae Im (-6)
2019: Keith Mitchell (-9)

To Win Outright:

Rory McIlroy 7/1 | Cameron Young 22/1 | Russell Henley 25/1 | Eric Cole 25/1 | Byeong-hun An 28/1

Value Bets

Chris Kirk- To Win 40/1 | To Place 17/2

40/1 looks like an outstanding price for defending champion Chris Kirk. Kirk pulled off an extremely emotional victory last season, picking up his first title in eight years following a lengthy battle with alcoholism and depression. He is an exceptional approach player who will look to give himself plenty of birdie chances. He has already won this season, claiming victory at the season-opening Sentry Tournament of Champions. He hasn’t picked up a top-15 finish in his last four events (missing the cut at the Genesis last time out). But 40/1 still looks like a steal in a relatively mediocre field.

Gary Woodland- To Win 100/1 | To Place 22/1

This one would really continue the trend of heartwarming victories. 2019 US Open champion Gary Woodland is still feeling his way back into the swing of things following surgery to remove a tumour from his brain. He missed the cut in his first three starts post-surgery. But he improved to a 39th-place finish in a strong Genesis field last time out. He is also something of a course specialist here, finishing fifth and eighth in his last two starts at PGA National (2022 and 2020). He also finished runner-up here back in 2017 and I really think he could be one to speculate on in the place markets.

The Man to Beat- Stephen Jaeger- To Win 35/1 | To Place 15/2

I really think that it’s just a matter of time until 34-year-old German Stephen Jaeger captures his maiden PGA Tour title. The five-time Korn Ferry Tour winner has added some distance to his game and that has helped him notch up three top-20 finishes this season. He finished T3 in a stellar Torrey Pines field and he is fresh off yet another T3 finish in Mexico. He finished T14 here last season and I love the way his game is trending. He is fourth on tour in proximity from 150-200 yards and that sort of approach play should serve him well this week.