Tucked away in the stunning Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, the PGA National Resort is not just a golfer’s paradise—it’s a legendary destination that shines during the prestigious Cognizant Classic. With its breathtaking landscapes and top-notch golf courses, this resort attracts passionate amateurs and elite professionals eager to soak in its charm. Nestled in the heart of a golfing paradise is the iconic Champion Course, masterfully designed by the legendary Jack Nicklaus. This remarkable course features “The Bear Trap,” an exhilarating trio of holes—15 through 17—those challenges even the most seasoned golfers and heightens the excitement of tournament play. Renowned for its pristine fairways and impeccably maintained greens, PGA National Resort offers an extraordinary experience that captivates golfers and spectators, making every round unforgettable. The upcoming Cognizant Classic 2025 will occur at PGA National Resort & Spa in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, from February 27 to March 2, 2025. Participants can compete on the challenging Champion course, which features the notorious “Bear Trap,” known for its difficulty. In addition, organizers have enhanced the fan experience, allowing for closer engagement with the action. Dive into the latest updates and everything you need about your favorite sports! Stay informed and never miss a beat!
Get ready for an unforgettable experience at the Cognizant Classic 2025, where the thrill of professional golf comes alive at the breathtaking PGA National Resort & Spa in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida! This premier tournament will likely dazzle fans with a stellar lineup of 144 talented players, including 16 from the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking. Prepare for heart-pounding action and jaw-dropping performances from favorites like World No. 17 Russell Henley and our reigning champion, Austin Eckroat. This cognizant Classic is your chance to witness the excitement and drama that only the world of golf can offer! As the tournament formerly known as the Honda Classic, the Cognizant Classic boasts a rich history and has stood out on the PGA TOUR for over 40 years. Brace yourself as elite competitors, including the formidable World No. 18 Sepp Straka, take a challenging course that will test their skills and mental fortitude. Don’t miss out on this thrilling spectacle, packed with breathtaking moments that will leave you on the edge of your seat. Attention all golf fans! This tournament is an unmissable event—mark your calendars and get ready to be thrilled by the incredible action on the course!
The Cognizant Classic, which was formerly known as the Honda Classic, has its origins dating back to 1972, designed to introduce high-level professional golf to South Florida. The change in name to ‘Cognizant Classic’ in 2021 reflects the event’s partnership with Cognizant, a global leader in technology and business services, and its commitment to innovation and excellence. It has evolved into a significant event on the PGA TOUR over the years, experiencing multiple name and venue changes before finding its current home at the PGA National Vacation Spot & Spa in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, in 2007. The tournament rebranded to the Honda Classic in 1981 and became the Cognizant Classic in 2021. The Cognizant Classic has seen notable champions, including Jack Nicklaus, who won in 1977 and 1978, and Tiger Woods, who triumphed in 2001. Rory McIlroy’s 2012 victory catapulted him to No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking. Justin Leonard set a tournament record in 2003 with 24-under-par. Most recently, Austin Eckroat won in 2024, continuing the event’s legacy. During the 2024 Cognizant Classic, Austin Eckroat emerged as the champion with a score of 17-under-par, marking his first PGA Tour win. His performance featured rounds of 65, 67, 68, and 67. A highlight was Erik Van Rooyen’s impressive final round front nine, where he shot 28 with seven birdies and no bogeys. Despite a double bogey on the 5th hole, Min Woo Lee tied for second at 14-under-par, aided by an eagle and three birdies. Additionally, Shane Lowry tied for fourth after making a birdie on the 18th hole. Eckroat’s ability to maintain his lead amid challenging conditions showcased his skill and composure throughout the tournament.
Cognizant Classic 2025 Event Details
Main Event: Cognizant Classic 2025
Date: February 27-March 2, 2025
Venue: PGA National Members Club, Golf Club in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
What is the format of the 2025 Cognizant Classic?
The Cognizant Classic 2025 is an exciting event on the PGA TOUR calendar. This tournament will unfold over four days, following a traditional 72-hole stroke-play format. A competitive field of 144 skilled golfers will participate, with only the top 65 players and ties progressing past the 36-hole mark to enter the final rounds. The objective is simple: the player with the lowest number of strokes at the end of the competition will be declared the champion. Each player’s score will be tracked throughout all four rounds, building anticipation among spectators. A sudden-death playoff will determine the winner in case of a tie after 72 holes. This event is a must-see for golf aficionados, promising a thrilling and viable tournament.
The headway norms are up-front:
- First Two Rounds: All 144 players participate; their scores are recorded and tallied.
- 36-Hole Cut: Only the top 65 players and ties remain after the second round.
- Final Two Rounds: The players will compete this weekend to find out who the champion is.
This format guarantees a electrifying and modest tournament, ensuring only the best players advance to the final rounds.
How will the Cognizant Classic 2025 changes impact player competition and strategies?
The recent changes to the tournament format and fan experience will significantly influence competition and player strategies. With fewer grandstands, players will interact more with fans, increasing pressure and excitement. Adjustments to the course layout to enhance fan engagement will also shape players’ strategies on challenging holes. These changes will create a dynamic atmosphere that boosts player morale and performance, ensuring an exceptional experience for athletes and spectators at the Cognizant Classic. The Cognizant Classic 2025 promises an enhanced fan experience with fewer grandstands for a closer connection to the action, showcasing Palm Beach’s culture and fostering community engagement.
Schedule for Cognizant Classic 2025
| Date | Event | Time | Notes |
| Wednesday, February 26, 2025 | Practice Day for Professionals | 6:30 a.m. | Gates open to the public |
| Thursday, February 27, 2025 | Round 1 | 6:30 a.m. 6:50 a.m. | Gates open Tee Times begin |
| Friday, February 28, 2025 | Round 2 | 6:30 a.m. 6:50 a.m. | Gates open Tee Times begin |
| Saturday, March 1, 2025 | Round 3 | 6:30 a.m. 6:55 a.m. | Gates open Tee Times begin |
| Sunday, March 2, 2025 | Round 4 Closing Ceremony Celebration | 6:30 a.m. 6:50 a.m. After play | Gates open Tee Times begin Immediately following play |
Note: Please be aware that tee times and gate times may change.
How many golfers are participating in the Cognizant Classic 2025?
The Cognizant Classic 2025 will showcase a competitive field of 144 golfers, which includes 16 of the top 50 players in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR). The tournament spans four days, each featuring a round of golf, showcasing several TOUR winners and a diverse range of talent.
| An, Byeong Hun | Greyserman, Max | Kohles, Ben |
| Pan, C.T. | Thompson, Davis | Berger, Daniel |
| Griffin, Ben | Kuchar, Matt | Pavon, Matthieu |
| Thorbjornsen, Michael | Bezuidenhout, Christiaan | Grillo, Emiliano |
| Lashley, Nate | Pendrith, Taylor | Thornberry, Braden |
| Bridgeman, Jacob | Hall, Harry | Lawrence, Thriston |
| Perez, Victor | Todd, Brendon | Campbell, Brian |
| Hardy, Nick | Lee, K.H. | Peterson, Paul |
| Valimaki, Sami | Campos, Rafael | Harman, Brian |
| Lee, Min Woo | Phillips, Chandler | van Rooyen, Erik |
| Capan III, Frankie | Henley, Russell | Lipsky, David |
| Polland, Ben | Vegas, Jhonattan | Castillo, Ricky |
| Hicks, Justin | List, Luke | Power, Seamus |
| Velo, Kevin | Cauley, Bud | Higgs, Harry |
| Lower, Justin | Putnam, Andrew | Ventura, Kris |
| Chandler, Will | Highsmith, Joe | Lowry, Shane |
| Ramey, Chad | Vilips, Karl | Clanton, Luke |
| Hisatsune, Ryo | Malnati, Peter | Riley, Davis |
| Villegas, Camilo | Cole, Eric | Hodges, Lee |
| Manassero, Matteo | Rodgers, Patrick | Wallace, Matt |
| Coody, Pierceson | Hoey, Rico | Martin, Ben |
| Rosenmueller, Thomas | Waring, Paul | Cummins, Quade |
| Hoffman, Charley | McCarthy, Denny | Roy, Kevin |
| Whaley, Vince | Dahmen, Joel | Hoge, Tom |
| McCarty, Matt | Rozner, Antoine | Widing, Tim |
| Del Solar, Cristobal | Højgaard, Nicolai | McCumber, Tyler |
| Ryder, Sam | Willett, Danny | Dickson, Taylor |
| Horschel, Billy | McGreevy, Max | Salinda, Isaiah |
| Woodland, Gary | Donald, Luke | Hoshino, Rikuya |
| Meissner, Mac | Schenk, Adam | Young, Cameron |
| Echavarria, Nico | Hossler, Beau | Mitchell, Keith |
| Schmid, Matti | Young, Carson | Eckroat, Austin |
| Hubbard, Mark | Molinari, Francesco | Sigg, Greyson |
| Fishburn, Patrick | Hughes, Mackenzie | Montgomery, Taylor |
| Silverman, Ben | Fisk, Steven | Im, Sungjae |
| Moore, Taylor | Simpson, Webb | Fowler, Rickie |
| Johnson, Zach | Mouw, William | Skinns, David |
| Fox, Ryan | Kim, Chan | Mullinax, Trey |
| Smalley, Alex | Garnett, Brice | Kim, Michael |
| Nørgaard, Niklas | Snedeker, Brandt | Gerard, Ryan |
| Kirk, Chris | Norlander, Henrik | Spaun, J.J. |
| Ghim, Doug | Kisner, Kevin | Norrman, Vincent |
| Stevens, Sam | Glover, Lucas | Kitayama, Kurt |
| Novak, Andrew | Straka, Sepp | Gordon, Will |
| Kizzire, Patton | Olesen, Thorbjørn | Svensson, Adam |
| Gotterup, Chris | Knapp, Jake | Palmer, Ryan |
| Svensson, Jesper | – | – |
Highest-ranked players in the field
| World Ranking | FedExCup |
| 17. Russell Henley | 3. Sepp Straka |
| 18. Shane Lowry | 12. Brian Campbell |
| 19. Sepp Straka | 13. Sungjae Im |
| 20. Billy Horschel | 16. Shane Lowry |
| 22. Sungjae Im | 17. Patrick Rodgers |
| 32. Byeong Hun An | 20. Michael Kim |
| 35. Max Greyserman | 21. Lucas Glover |
| 36. Denny McCarthy | 22. Russell Henley |
| 37. Brian Harman | 23. Daniel Berger |
| 40. Taylor Pendrith | 24. Andrew Novak |
Power Rankings for the Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches
| Rank | Golfers |
| 1 | Shane Lowry (Ireland) |
| 2 | Sepp Straka (Austria) |
| 3 | Russell Henley (USA) |
| 4 | Denny McCarthy (USA) |
| 5 | Daniel Berger (USA) |
| 6 | Lucas Glover (USA) |
| 7 | Cameron Young (USA) |
| 8 | Billy Horschel (USA) |
| 9 | Austin Eckroat (USA) |
| 10 | Lee Hodges (USA) |
| 11 | Andrew Novak (USA) |
| 12 | Taylor Pendrith (Canada) |
| 13 | Keith Mitchell (USA) |
| 14 | Gary Woodland (USA) |
| 15 | Ben Griffin (USA) |
Where can I watch the golf Cognizant Classic 2025?
You can watch the Cognizant Classic 2025 on Sky Sports Golf in the UK, where the tournament will broadcast live. You can stream it through the Sky Go app with a subscription. Furthermore, the Golf Channel will provide coverage for all four rounds, while NBC will take over the live coverage for the third and final rounds. Additionally, you can stream the event on ESPN+ and the NBC Sports app.
PGA TOUR Radio is available on SiriusXM and can be listened to for free at PGATOUR.com/liveaudio. The broadcast schedule is as follows: on Thursdays and Fridays, tune in from noon to 6 p.m., and on Saturdays and Sundays, catch the action from 1 to 6 p.m.
Catch the all-days Cognizant Classic 2025 are the broadcast times in Eastern Standard Time (EST).
- February 27: 2-6 PM on Golf Channel/NBC Sports app
- February 28: 2-6 PM on Golf Channel/NBC Sports app
- March 1: 1-3 PM on Golf Channel/NBC Sports app, 3–6 p.m. on NBC/Peacock
- March 2: 1-3 PM on Golf Channel/NBC Sports app, 3–6 p.m. on NBC/Peacock
What is the Cognizant Classic purse and prize money?
The upcoming Cognizant Classic 2025 is generating a buzz of excitement. With an astonishing prize purse of $9.2 million, the tournament promises to deliver delightful action. The ultimate champion will have the chance to win a remarkable $1,656,000 along with a prestigious 500 FedExCup points.
| Position | Prize Money |
| 1st | $1,656,000 |
| 2nd | $1,002,800 |
| 3rd | $634,800 |
| 4th | $450,800 |
| 5th | $377,200 |
| 6th | $333,500 |
| 7th | $310,500 |
| 8th | $287,500 |
| 9th | $269,100 |
| 10th | $250,700 |
| 11th | $232,300 |
| 12th | $213,900 |
| 13th | $195,500 |
| 14th | $177,100 |
| 15th | $167,900 |
| 16th | $158,700 |
| 17th | $149,500 |
| 18th | $140,300 |
| 19th | $131,100 |
| 20th | $121,900 |
| 21st | $112,700 |
| 22nd | $103,500 |
| 23rd | $96,140 |
| 24th | $88,780 |
| 25th | $81,420 |
| 26th | $74,060 |
| 27th | $71,300 |
| 28th | $68,540 |
| 29th | $65,780 |
| 30th | $63,020 |
| 31st | $60,260 |
| 32nd | $57,500 |
| 33rd | $54,740 |
| 34th | $52,440 |
| 35th | $50,140 |
| 36th | $47,840 |
| 37th | $45,540 |
| 38th | $43,700 |
| 39th | $41,860 |
| 40th | $40,020 |
| 41st | $38,180 |
| 42nd | $36,340 |
| 43rd | $34,500 |
| 44th | $32,660 |
| 45th | $30,820 |
| 46th | $28,980 |
| 47th | $27,140 |
| 48th | $25,668 |
| 49th | $24,380 |
| 50th | $23,644 |
| 51st | $23,092 |
| 52nd | $22,540 |
| 53rd | $22,172 |
| 54th | $21,804 |
| 55th | $21,620 |
| 56th | $21,436 |
| 57th | $21,252 |
| 58th | $21,068 |
| 59th | $20,884 |
| 60th | $20,700 |
| 61st | $20,516 |
| 62nd | $20,332 |
| 63rd | $20,148 |
| 64th | $19,964 |
| 65th | $19,780 |
Predictions
Shane Lowry
Shane Lowry has established himself as a formidable force in professional golf, consistently finishing in the top 25 of major tournaments. His impressive triumph at The Open Championship in 2019, where he claimed a commanding six-shot victory, showcases his elite capabilities. With a strong start to the 2025 season, he has re-entered the world’s top 20, currently ranked 19th. Shane Lowry was key in Team Europe’s 2023 Ryder Cup success and finished second at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. He aims for the 2025 European Ryder Cup and will defend the Zurich Classic title with McIlroy. Lowry’s past achievements, including his victory at the 2019 Open Championship and his role in Team Europe’s 2023 Ryder Cup success, make him a player to watch in 2025.
Sepp Straka
Sepp Straka has well-known himself as a consistent force in golf, regularly finishing in the top 25 of major tournaments. He has kicked off the 2025 season with impressive momentum, highlighted by his victory at The American Express. With his exceptional ball-striking ability, he consistently maintains a competitive edge over his peers. Sepp Straka has proudly represented Europe in the Ryder Cup, significantly contributing to the team’s achievements. He represented Austria in the Olympics and won the American Express in January 2025 with a 263 (-25) score. Straka’s aim for the 2025 European Ryder Cup team makes him a player to watch.
Russell Henley
Russell Henley has established himself as a consistent and formidable competitor, frequently finishing in the top 25 of major tournaments. His impressive start to the 2025 season features a stellar top 5 finish at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Renowned for his exceptional ball-striking ability, Henley’s skill set gives him a distinct advantage over his peers. With PGA Tour experience since 2013 and ranking 23rd in strokes gained putting, he finished 30th at the Sentry Tournament, 10th at the Sony Open, and 5th, making him a player to watch in 2025.
Denny McCarthy
Denny McCarthy is making a significant impact in the golf world, and 2025 will be a pivotal year for him. His remarkable consistency has placed him among the top contenders, regularly finishing in the top 25 of major tournaments. McCarthy kicked off the 2025 season with an impressive top-10 finish at the Sony Open in Hawaii, showcasing his exceptional putting skills that give him a crucial advantage on the greens. On the PGA Tour since 2015, Denny McCarthy finished 35th in the FedEx Cup in 2024 and nearly won the Valero Texas Open. He’s a player to watch in 2025.
