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2026 Cognizant Classic Golf Tournament
Tournament: Cognizant Classic
Date: February 26 – March 1, 2026
Location: Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
Course: PGA National Resort and Spa
Par/Yardage: 70 / 7,125
Purse: $9.6 million (Winner: $1.728 million)
Field: 123 Players
Last Year Winner: Joe Highsmith
Last Week Winner: Jacob Bridgeman
Last Week Runnerup: Kurt Kitayama & Rory McIlroy
FedEx Cup Points Leaders: Jacob Bridgeman
Television: Thursday-Friday, 2-6 p.m. (Golf Channel)
Saturday-Sunday, 1-3 p.m. (Golf Channel), 3-6 p.m. (NBC)
Florida Swing Betting Angles and Value Picks
The West Coast Swing is officially in the rearview and now we head to Florida, where wind, water hazards and outright betting chaos take center stage at the 2026 Cognizant Classic.
Let’s be honest. This is not a loaded field. After a string of Monday withdrawals, Ryan Gerard sits as the highest ranked player in the field at No. 26 in the Official World Golf Ranking. That tells you everything about the opportunity on the odds board.
With the event wedged between multiple Signature Events and THE PLAYERS Championship, elite names are resting. That leaves value hunters licking their chops. This tournament has a recent history of longshots cashing tickets, so blindly backing short numbers is not the sharp approach.
Shane Lowry steps in as a co favorite and brings course history, finishing no worse than T11 in his last four appearances here. Gerard has made five of five cuts this season, finished fourth in 2023 and T25 last year, showing comfort on the Champions Course.
The Florida swing typically rewards strong ball striking and patience in the wind. That opens the door for mid tier contenders and triple digit outrights.
From a betting standpoint, this is a week to spread exposure. Target outright value, sprinkle top 10 markets and consider head to head matchups over inflated favorites. This board is built for volatility.
Read on to see our pick for this week.
Here are the Odds for the Top Players:
Cognizant Classic
Ryan Gerard +1600
Shane Lowry +1600
Nicolai Hojgaard +2200
Rasmus Hojgaard +2500
Michael Thorbjornsen +2500
Brooks Koepka +3000
Daniel Berger +3000
Keith Mitchell +3500
Aaron Rai +3500
Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen +4000
Davis Thompson +4000
Haotong Li +4000
Johnny Keefer +4000
Max McGreevy +4000
Will Zalatoris +4000
Alex Smalley +4500
Christiaan Bezuidenhout +5000
Mac Meissner +5000
Max Homa +5000
Nico Echavarria +5000
Thorbjorn Olesen +5000
Chris Kirk +5500
Jordan Smith +5500
Kristoffer Reitan +5500
Rico Hoey +5000
- Golf Odds source: Bovada Sportsbook
- Get real-time latest betting odds here!
The Prediction: Nicolai Hojgaard 22/1 (+2200)
Nicolai Højgaard rolls into the Cognizant Classic in peak form, posting five top 15 finishes in his last seven starts. His tee to green game has been elite, and lately the putter has cooperated, gaining multiple strokes at Farmers and nearly three at TPC Scottsdale during a third place run. In a softer field, his ball striking stands out, and at +2200 the outright number offers real value.
Prediction: Højgaard contends Sunday and is worth a win ticket.
Propping up:
- Take Daniel Berger for Top-10 finish +250.
- Take Christiaan Bezuidenhout for Top-20 finish +150.
- Take Shane Lowry for Top GB & Ireland Player +200.
- Take Nicolai Hojgaard -120 over Rasmus Hojgaard in Tournament Matchup.
- Long Shot Bets – Take Tom Kim for Top-10 finish +475.
Bet on the Cognizant Classic at Bovada Sportsbook
