Cognizant Classic results, payouts: Joe Highsmith captures first PGA Tour win

Twenty-four-year-old Joe Highsmith captured the first PGA Tour title of his career at the Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches.

A player’s first priority at any PGA Tour event is to make the 36-hole cut, even if they do so on the cut line.

After that, anything can happen.

Just ask Joe Highsmith, who made the cut on the number at 5-under par. He then went on to win the Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches, the first PGA Tour title of his young career. He also is the first player in nine years to win a PGA Tour event after making the cut on the number — Brandt Snedeker last did so at the 2016 Farmers Insurance Open.

Highsmith, who played collegiately at Pepperdine alongside Sahith Theegala, fired back-to-back 7-under 64s on Saturday and Sunday. He made 230 feet worth of putts over the weekend, seemingly making everything.

This all came after Highsmith revealed that he had a “poor warmup” before Saturday’s third round. But that did not foreshadow what was to come. Instead, Highsmith, with Joe LaCava IV caddying for him, can now book a trip to Augusta National and Quail Hollow for the PGA Championship. He is also eligible for every remaining Signature Event and has secured status on the PGA Tour for the next two seasons.

Cognizant Classic Final Leaderboard & Payout:

1. Joe Highsmith -19 — $1,656,000

T2. J.J. Spaun -17 — $818,800

T2. Jacob Bridgeman -17 — $818,800

T4. Max McGreevy -16 — $414,000

T4. Ben Griffin -16 — $414,000

T6. Russell Henley -15 — $310,500

T6. Michael Kim -15 — $310,500

T6. Jake Knapp -15 — $310,500

T9. Erik van Rooyen -14 — $259,900

T9. Jordan Spieth -14 — $259,900

T11. Brice Garnett -13 — $184,986

T11. Shane Lowry -13 — $184,986

T11. Andrew Putnam -13 — $184,986

T11. Min Woo Lee -13 — $184,986

T11. Sepp Straka -13 — $184,986

T11. Max Greyserman -13 — $184,986

T11. Doug Ghim -13 — $184,986

T18. Patrick Rodgers -12 — $117,607

T18. Alex Smalley -12 — $117,607

T18. Victor Perez -12 — $117,607

T18. Matti Schmid -12 — $117,607

T18. Doug Ghim -12 — $117,607

T18. Rickie Fowler -12 — $117,607

T18. Nicolai Højgaard -12 — $117,607

T25. Charley Hoffman -11 — $73,272

T25. Billy Horschel -11 — $73,272

T25. Rickie Fowler -11 — $73,272

T25. Niklas Norgaard -11 — $73,272

T25. Daniel Berger -11 — $73,272

T25. Rico Hoey -11 — $73,272

T25. Taylor Montgomery -11 — $73,272

T25. Ryan Gerard -11 — $73,272

T32. Ryan Gerard -10 — $52,638

T32. Brian Harman -10 — $52,638

T32. Joel Dahmen -10 — $52,638

T32. Chan Kim -10 — $52,638

T32. Beau Hossler -10 — $52,638

T32. Vince Whaley -10 — $52,638

T32. Jesper Svensson -10 — $52,638

T32. Quade Cummins -10 — $52,638

T39. Karl Vilips -9 — $41,860

T39. Isaiah Salinda -9 — $41,860

T39. Michael Thorbjornsen -9 — $41,860

T42. Zach Johnson -8 — $33,580

T42. Keith Mitchell -8 — $33,580

T42. Christiaan Bezuidenhout -8 — $33,580

T42. Matthieu Pavon -8 — $33,580

T42. Taylor Moore -8 — $33,580

T42. Jackson Suber -8 — $33,580

T48. Sam Ryder -7 — $23,806

T48. Brian Campbell -7 — $23,806

T48. Rikuya Hoshino -7 — $23,806

T48. Denny McCarthy -7 — $23,806

T48. Davis Riley -7 — $23,806

T48. Sami Valimaki -7 — $23,806

T48. Patrick Fishburn -7 — $23,806

T48. Matt McCarty -7 — $23,806

T56. Matt Kuchar -6 — $21,252

T56. Chris Kirk -6 — $21,252

T56. Bud Cauley -6 — $21,252

T56. Kris Ventura -6 — $21,252

T56. Ricky Castillo -6 — $21,252

61. Jhonattan Vegas -4 — $20,700

T62. Antoine Rozner -3 — $20,424

T62. Ben Polland -3 — $20,424

T64. Greyson Sigg -2 — $20,148

T65. Matthew Riedel -1 — $19,872

T65. Francesco Molinari -1 — $19,872

67. Tom Hoge E — $19,596

68. Alejandro Tosti +2 — $19,412

Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Follow him on X @jack_milko.