The title sponsor has changed but most everything else remains the same when the PGA Tour kicks off the Florida Swing with the Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches. Formerly known as the Honda Classic, the event will be played once again at PGA National with Rory McIlroy a massive favorite to win here for the second time. McIlroy won the event in 2012 but hasn’t played this tournament since 2018. Chris Kirk is back to defend the title he won in a playoff last year looking to go back-to-back here for the first time since Jack Nicklaus did so in the late 1970s. Kirk opened the new season with a win at The Sentry in early January. Listed at +700 on the opening line, McIlroy is the only player with shorter than 23/1 odds, though he’s failed to crack the top 20 in two previous Tour starts. Visit BookMaker.eu for a complete list of betting odds when you’re ready to place a wager.
Cognizant Classic Betting Odds
Rory McIlroy +700
Cameron Young +2300
Russell Henley +2450
Tom Kim +2700
J.T. Poston +2700
Matthew Fitzpatrick +2750
Byeong Hun An +2850
Eric Cole +2850
Sungjae Im +3350
Corey Conners +3650
Min Woo Lee +3650
Keith Mitchell +3850
Chris Kirk +4000
Shane Lowry +4150
Stephan Jaeger +4450
Sepp Straka +4500
Beau Hossler +4650
Adam Svensson +5000
Daniel Berger +5250
Luke List +5300
Rickie Fowler +5500
Tom Hoge +5550
Denny McCarthy +5550
Rasmus Hojgaard +6050
Matthieu Pavon +6450
Erik Van Rooyen +6550
Christiaan Bezuidenhout +6550
Doug Ghim +7050
Justin Rose +7250
Odds Analysis
Eric Cole +2850
Cole has been steady so far this season with five top 25s in seven starts, including a T10 most recently at The Genesis. And he probably feels as though there’s some unfinished business that needs tending to since he lost in a playoff last year in his tournament debut. That runner-up finish did start Cole on his way to Rookie of the Year honors but that initial victory is what he most covets.
Russell Henley +2450
Another golfer rested ahead of this tournament, Henley returns to a joint that’s treated him well in the past. He outlasted three others, including McIlroy, in a playoff in 2014 and had progressively better results in his last five starts since a MC in the 2016 edition. He earned a podium finish in 2021 after securing a top 10 the year before and has five top 20s in the nine tournaments he’s played.
Matthieu Pavon +6450
How good is his start to the new season? Well, Pavon hasn’t played since finishing alone in third at the rain-shortened Pebble Beach Pro Am yet he still leads the FedExCup race. His only blemish in four starts is a T39 at the AMX but he overcame that quickly with a win at the Farmers before challenging the field in Northern California. He’s a rookie on this track but given recent form Pavon appears undervalued at his price.
Sepp Straka +4500
It just so happens that another former winner of this event ends up in this section. Straka prevailed two years ago finishing one swing better than Shane Lowry. His first title defense wasn’t too shabby though he failed to repeat. Still four sub-70 rounds and a consistent swing allowed him to place among the top 5. Recent form also resembles what Straka did ahead of last season when he was in contention until the end.
Erik Van Rooyen +6550
Outside of McIlroy the odds suggest a wide-open field. And considering the number of surprise winners already this season venturing down the odds board can pay huge dividends. Van Rooyen has been on a consistent run of strong form for several months that continued last week when he earned a share of eighth place in Mexico giving him seven top 25s in his last 10 Tour starts that included a win at the World Wide Technology Championship in November.
Course: PGA National Champion Course – 7,147 yards, Par 71
Serving as host since 2007, the Champions Course isn’t long at 7,147 yards, but it is usually ranked as one of the most difficult tracks on Tour. There is another change to the layout from years past with the 10th hole now a 530-yard par 5 increasing the yardage while adding a stroke to par. It’s still short and the number of water hazards it becomes an irons and approach setup. Hit the fairways and give yourself a chance to reach the greens is a simple strategy, but water and wind hazards can get in the way. The legendary “Bear Trap” of holes 15-17 also creates plenty of drama. According to the PGA Tour website more than 2,000 golf balls have hit the water in the Trap since 2007. At 14-under last year, Kirk matched Padraig Harrington in 2005 for the lowest winning score in that time frame with both needing extra holes for the victory.
TV Coverage: Golf Channel, NBC
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