The Florida Swing begins this week with the Cognizant Classic. Here is everything you need to know.
The PGA Tour will begin its ‘Florida Swing’ at PGA National, a course that boasts water on 15 holes. Trouble lurks everywhere, especially at ‘The Bear Trap,’ which is the three hole stretch that consists of the par-3 15th, par-4 16th, and par-3 17th holes. Every year, The Bear Trap determines who wins or loses while also entertaining fans on the ground and those watching from home.
For years, this course played as a par-70, but ahead of last year’s Cognizant Classic, which Austin Eckroat won, tournament officials stretched the par-4 10th hole into a par-5. The first hole on the back nine now measures 550 yards, up from the 509 that it played in 2023.
More changes were made to the course ahead of this year’s tournament, however. For the first time since 2014, the perennial ryegrass that make up the fairways and tees have been overseeded. In previous years, officials overseeded only the 2.5 inch rough. As is customary with Florida golf courses, the underlying turf is Bermudagrass, making any shot played from there unpredictable.
The powers that be also shrunk the width of the fairways and now average 28 yards in width. Finding the short grass will be a premium, especially since this is a ball-striking golf course. You have to find greens in regulation to have success here, all while avoiding the water.
This year’s field is led by 2019 Champion Golfer of the Year Shane Lowry and three-time major winner Jordan Spieth, who is making his Cognizant Classic debut. Spieth has not played at PGA National since 2009, when he was a 15-year-old junior competing in the AJGA Polo Golf Junior Classic. Brentley Romine of the Golf Channel posted the bracket from that event, which saw Spieth advance to the final four.
Other notables include Sungjae Im, Russell Henley, and Daniel Berger, all of whom are solid iron players and should fare well in South Florida this week. Amateur Luke Clanton will also try to secure his PGA Tour card this week — if he makes the 36-hole cut, he earns status for the rest of the year and in 2026.
Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches Info:
Where: PGA National Resort (Champion Course), Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
Details: 7,167 yards, Par 71, Designed by Tom Fazio in 1981
Purse: $9,200,000 ($1,656,000 to the winner)
FedEx Cup Points: 500 to the winner
Defending Champion: Austin Eckroat
How to Watch Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches on TV:
Thursday, February 27:
2-6 p.m. ET (Golf Channel)
Friday, February 28:
2-6 p.m. ET (Golf Channel)
Saturday, March 1:
1-3 p.m. ET (Golf Channel); 3-6 p.m. ET (NBC)
Sunday, August 25:
1-3 p.m. ET (Golf Channel); 3-6 p.m. ET (NBC)
Photo by Ben Jared/PGA Tour via Getty Images
How to Stream Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches:
The Cognizant Classic can be streamed through ESPN+ and Peacock.
Each morning at 6:45 a.m., ESPN+ begins streaming the Main Feed of PGA Tour Live until the Golf Channel broadcast starts in the early afternoon. ESPN+ also carries separate streams of Featured Groups and Featured Holes. Once the Golf Channel telecast begins, ESPN+ will air only Featured Group and Featured Hole coverage.
ESPN+ Schedule:
Thursday, February 27:
6:45 a.m.-2 p.m. ET (Main Feed)
7 a.m.-2 p.m. (Featured Groups)
- Daniel Berger, Max Gresyerman, Luke Clanton (a)
- Sepp Straka, Billy Horschel, Cameron Young
- Austin Eckroat, Chris Kirk, Sungjae Im
- Brian Campbell, Davis Thompson, Byeong Hun An
7:30 a.m.-2 p.m. (Marquee Groups)
- Rickie Fowler, Russell Henley, Jordan Spieth
- Shane Lowry, Gary Woodland, Min Woo Lee
7:45 a.m.-2 p.m. (Featured Holes)
- 5th hole, Par 3, 217 yards
- 7th hole, Par 3, 226 yards
- 15th hole, Par 3, 179 yards
- 17th hole, Par 3, 175 yards
2-6 p.m. (Featured Groups)
- Austin Eckroat, Chris Kirk, Sungjae Im
2-6 p.m. (Featured Holes)
- 15th hole, Par 3, 179 yards
- 17th hole, Par 3, 175 yards
Friday, February 28:
6:45 a.m.-2 p.m. ET (Main Feed)
7:15 a.m.-2 p.m. (Featured Groups)
- Daniel Berger, Max Gresyerman, Luke Clanton (a)
- Sepp Straka, Billy Horschel, Cameron Young
- Austin Eckroat, Chris Kirk, Sungjae Im
- Brian Campbell, Davis Thompson, Byeong Hun An
7:30 a.m.-2 p.m. (Marquee Groups)
- Rickie Fowler, Russell Henley, Jordan Spieth
- Shane Lowry, Gary Woodland, Min Woo Lee
7:45 a.m.-2 p.m. (Featured Holes)
- 5th hole, Par 3, 217 yards
- 7th hole, Par 3, 226 yards
- 15th hole, Par 3, 179 yards
- 17th hole, Par 3, 175 yards
2-6 p.m. (Featured Groups)
- Sepp Straka, Billy Horschel, Cameron Young
2-6 p.m. (Featured Holes)
- 15th hole, Par 3, 179 yards
- 17th hole, Par 3, 175 yards
Peacock will simulcast the Golf Channel and NBC broadcasts each day.
To stream coverage on Peacock, click here.
Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches Tee Times:
Here is the full tee sheet for the first two rounds of the Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches.
For the first time in 2025, the tour will be playing in the Eastern Time Zone:
First- and second-round tee times and groupings for the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches. pic.twitter.com/vp8IR9zbBs
— PGA TOUR Communications (@PGATOURComms) February 25, 2025
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Follow him on X @jack_milko.
