The Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches will be held February 27-March 2 at the PGA National Resort in Palm Beach Garden, Florida. The tournament kicks off the PGA Tour’s East Coast swing and serves as a prelude to the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Players Championship.
Formerly known as the Honda Classic, the field is traditionally one of the strongest on the Tour. With just days to go before entries close, the field has been bolstered by the addition of three players ranked in the world’s top 25.
They are Russell Henley (World No. 17), Billy Horschel (World No. 21) and Sungjae Im (World No. 22). Their commitment to the event was announced by organizers on the Cognizant Classic’s official social media profile.
Henley enters PGA National with two top-10 finishes in four events this season. His best finish to date is a tie for fifth at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Horschel, meanwhile, has played six tournaments in 2024, with three missed cuts. He also has a top-10 finish at Pebble Beach (tied for 9th).
Meanwhile, Im also played six tournaments but made the cut four times. His best finish of the year was a tie for third at The Sentry. He also finished in the top 5 at the Farmers Insurance Open (tied for fourth).
Currently, Henley is the highest-ranked player to have confirmed his participation in the Cognizant Classic. However, other players such as Maverick McNealy (ranked 14th in the world) have mentioned that they will be playing at PGA National, although they have not yet made it official.
Other top players who have already confirmed their participation in the event are Sepp Stracka (World No. 18), Shane Lowry (World No. 19), Nick Taylor (World No. 28) and Min Woo Lee (World No. 55).
Another player who has already confirmed his participation in the Cognizant Classic thanks to a sponsor exemption is Luke Clanton, the World’s No. 1 amateur and No. 97 in the Official World Golf Ranking.
Clanton has the opportunity to earn his PGA Tour card simply by making the cut, thanks to the PGA Tour University Accelerated Program, a points system that accelerates the transition of top amateur players to the American-based professional circuit.
Austin Eckroat won the 2024 edition of the Cognizant Classic with a 17-under total, three strokes ahead of Erik Van Rooyen and Min Woo Lee.
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