The Florida sun is shining bright over Palm Beach Gardens, and with it, the PGA Tour’s Florida Swing is underway as the 2026 Cognizant Classic tees off at the iconic PGA National’s Champion Course. This year’s event, marking the 20th consecutive edition at this venue, is already stirring up conversation—not just about birdies and bogeys, but about the very soul of the course itself. If you thought the Bear Trap was always a beast, well, recent years have told a different story.
Let’s set the stage: The Cognizant Classic, formerly known as the Honda Classic, has long been a staple of the early spring golf calendar, drawing a strong field and testing the world’s best with its notorious stretch of holes and blustery Florida winds. Since moving to PGA National in 2007, the event built a reputation for punishing even the slightest mistakes, with winning scores rarely venturing into double digits under par. Mark Wilson’s five-under triumph in 2007, Ernie Els’ six-under in 2008, and a run of champions like Rory McIlroy and Rickie Fowler hovering just above ten under, all solidified the course’s standing as a true challenge.
But as the new decade dawned, something changed. Suddenly, the leaderboard was lighting up with red numbers. Chris Kirk’s 14-under playoff win in 2023 was followed by Austin Eckroat’s 17-under victory in 2024, and then Joe Highsmith’s eye-popping 19-under total last year. For golf traditionalists, it’s been a jarring shift. So what’s behind this scoring explosion?
According to several PGA Tour veterans, the answer lies beneath their spikes. PGA National, like many Florida courses, is rooted in Bermuda grass, known for its toughness and unpredictability. But in recent winters, the course has been overseeded with rye grass—a decision that, while making the fairways and roughs look lush and TV-ready, has also made them far more forgiving. Players can now escape the rough with relative ease, reducing the penalty for errant drives and approaches. The result? Lower scores, less drama, and, for some, a loss of the course’s bite.
Billy Horschel, a familiar face in Palm Beach Gardens with 13 starts at this event, didn’t mince words on social media. Responding to a user who called the overseeding a “disgrace,” Horschel placed the blame squarely on the owners of PGA National, not the PGA Tour. “Unfortunately, not the [PGA] Tour’s fault. Owners of PGA National do it. Tour have tried to state why it shouldn’t be overseeded but end of the day it’s out of their hands,” Horschel wrote. He went further, calling for the Tour to secure “complete control of the setup of all Tour courses” moving forward, making it clear he believes the integrity of these competitions is at stake.
Shane Lowry, the Irishman who now calls South Florida home, echoed those sentiments in his pre-tournament press conference. “I like that the rough is a bit thicker this year. It was a little bit too easy last year, I thought,” Lowry remarked. He reflected on his early struggles with Bermuda grass upon moving to Florida, even joking, “I wish it was overseeded back then.” Still, Lowry’s preference is clear: “I’d prefer to see it—look, I’m a member of a few courses down here, and all Bermuda, and the golf courses this time of year are incredible. The Bermuda golf courses down here are unbelievable. I probably would like to see a bit more of the old traditional setup. It is what it is this week, and you just have to deal with the cards you’re given.”
As play began on Thursday, February 26, the early leaderboard suggested a possible return to form. By 11:30 a.m. Eastern, Austin Smotherman was setting the pace at seven under through just 11 holes, with Nico Echavarria close behind at six under. Several players, including Taylor Moore and Karl Vilips, were in the clubhouse at four under. With the projected lead expected to reach six, seven, or eight under by day’s end, it’s still too soon to say if the course is truly back to its teeth-baring ways, but it’s clear that the conversation around scoring isn’t going away soon.
The field this year is a mix of veterans, rising stars, and a few notable absences. Joe Highsmith returns to defend his title, aiming to become the first repeat winner since the tournament’s move to PGA National. Max McGreevy, Erik van Rooyen, Andrew Putnam, Doug Ghim, and Brice Garnett—all top-10 finishers last year—are back in the hunt. Meanwhile, heavy hitters like Brooks Koepka, playing his third event since returning from LIV Golf, and Austin Eckroat, the 2024 champion, add extra intrigue. However, withdrawals from Jacob Bridgeman, Ben Griffin, and Adam Scott have slightly thinned the field, opening the door for new faces to make their mark.
The tournament’s purse is nothing to sneeze at: $9,600,000 is up for grabs, with the winner set to take home a cool $1,728,000 come Sunday evening. That’s a hefty incentive, especially as the Cognizant Classic serves as the curtain-raiser for the Florida Swing, with the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Players Championship looming just ahead.
PGA National itself, designed by Tom Fazio and opened in 1981, continues to be a draw. At 7,223 yards and playing as a par 71, it’s tied for 78th in Golfweek’s Best 2026 top 200 resort golf courses in the U.S. While the course’s setup has been the subject of debate, its stature in the game remains undiminished. The Bear Trap—holes 15, 16, and 17—still strikes fear into the hearts of even the most seasoned pros, especially when the wind picks up.
Weather, as always, is a factor. Thursday’s forecast calls for a high of 80 degrees with clouds and sun, and a gentle breeze from the south-southeast at 10-15 mph. Rain? Just a 1% chance. It’s almost ideal scoring conditions, which could either help the course yield more low numbers or, if the rough remains thick, keep things competitive.
Fans can catch all the action across multiple platforms. NBC Sports makes its 2026 season debut as the lead golf network, with Golf Channel, Peacock, and PGA Tour Live on ESPN+ all providing comprehensive coverage. Tee times began bright and early at 6:45 a.m. ET, with TV coverage running from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. ET and streaming available throughout the day. Whether you’re watching from your living room or following live updates online, there’s no shortage of ways to stay plugged in.
The Cognizant Classic’s future at PGA National isn’t set in stone, with speculation swirling about possible changes to the event’s location or sponsorship. But for now, all eyes are on the players and the course—will the Champion Course reclaim its reputation as a brute, or will the overseeded rye grass continue to soften its edges?
One thing is certain: as the first round continues and the leaderboard shifts, the debate over tradition versus spectacle remains as lively as ever. Golf fans, buckle up—the Florida Swing is off to a fascinating start.