Golf
Cognizant Classic: Five To Follow In The Palm Beaches This Week
Tournament officials recently announced a stellar field for the 2026 Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches, returning to The Champion Course at PGA National Resort & Spa from Thursday, February 26 through Sunday, March 1.
The field boasts 56 PGA TOUR winners combining for 141 TOUR titles, with significant names teeing it up this week including are World No. 11 Ben Griffin, No. 25 Ryan Gerard, No. 29 Shane Lowry, nine-time TOUR winner Brooks Koepka, six-time TOUR winner Max Homa and 14-time TOUR winner Adam Scott.
Here are my five selections against the field this week:
Nicolai Hojgaard (33/1)
Nicolai Hojgaard currently ranks sixth in this field in strokes gained tee-to-green in his last six tournaments, while ranking first in bogey avoidance in what has been a great start to the 2026 PGA Tour season for the young Dane.
Højgaard’s putter has also been red hot. At the Farmers, he gained a couple of strokes and almost three at TPC Scottsdale with his putter to conclude with a third-place finish.
It what could be considered a “mediocre” field, Nicolai Hojgaard is a solid each-way bet this week.
Michael Thorbjornsen (33/1)
Another player with a Scandinavian surname who can go well this week is the American, Michael Thorbjornsen.
After putting in back-to-back top-20 finishes (T3, T18) prior to a disappointing Pebble Beach tournament, a bounce-back from the 24-year-old would come as no surprise.
His driving distance will be a genuine weapon around the Champion Course and I can see him being towards the top of the leaderboard over all fours days.
Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen (45/1)
Winner of the Australian Open last autumn, third at the DP World Tour Championship, just one shot out of a playoff with Matt Fitzpatrick and Rory McIlroy, and in the top-three in the Spanish Open, Neergaard-Petersen is a European firework just waiting to explode on the PGA Tour.
The Dane has only played twice on the PGA Tour in 2026 and made both cuts, thus making him a solid each-way contender.
Will Zalatoris (45/1)
Zalatoris made his return to competitive PGA Tour golf after major back surgery at The American Express in January, where he finished 18th.
A week later he missed the cut at the Farmers, but believes the Champion Course at PGA National is a good place to get his golf going and to get earning those points again.
Zalatoris will be playing in a grouping with Brooks Koepka and Daniel Berger in Round 1, which can only aid him in bringing out his a-game this week.
Mac Meissner (60/1)
Meissner has finished in the top 20 four times over his last ten appearances, making him a lively outsider at the Palm Beaches.
With his short game going great guns this season (second in the field in proximity from 150-175 yards) and 19th in driving accuracy, only a small degree of improvement to his game could see him making a real fist of it here.
*Odds subject to change – prices accurate at the time of writing*
