The Cognizant Classic PGA Tour Betting Odds
Rory McIlroy is favoured on the golf odds.
This starts a four-tournament run in the Sunshine State, then there are two in Texas and we are at the Masters, which begins on April 11. The Cognizant Classic is not a new event just a new sponsor as this tournament used to be called the Honda Classic. It’s the longest-running PGA Tour event in south Florida.
Since 2007, this tournament has been played on Jack Nicklaus-designed Champion Course at PGA National Resort – one of the toughest tracks on Tour led by the Bear Trap: The par-3 15th, par-4 16th and par-3 17th holes, which consistently ranks among the most difficult three-hole stretches on Tour and provides significant drama each year. The Champion Course is a par 71 at 7,147 yards. It had been playing par 70 but new for this year is No. 10 playing as a 530-yard par 5.
The defending champion is Chris Kirk. He and fellow American Eric Cole finished 72 holes at 14-under 266 (an unusually low score here). On the first playoff hole, staged at the par-5 18th, Cole’s 11-foot birdie putt spun out, and he settled for par. Kirk, who led by two entering the final round, stuffed a wedge to tap-in range for birdie and won by draining that. It was Kirk’s fifth career PGA Tour win and first since the 2015 Charles Schwab Challenge. The title capped a return from mid-career struggles with alcohol abuse and depression, which provoked a hiatus from golf in 2019.
The PGA Tour honored him Kirk its Courage Award — he was only the sixth recipient — at the end of last season. And he has won title No. 6 since, taking the 2024-opening Sentry in Hawaii, assuring him a spot in the 2024 Masters (winning the 2023 Honda also got him to Augusta).
The only repeat winner of this tournament is Nicklaus in 1978. A few other guys have won here twice. Kirk’s win also snapped a three-year streak of international champions. We liked Sweden’s Alex Noren to win last year at +2500, but unfortunately he withdrew on the Tuesday of tournament week.
This is the final chance for golfers not already qualified to earn a spot in the PGA Tour’s next Signature Event, the Arnold Palmer Invitational next week in Orlando.
The Cognizant Classic Golf Odds
World No. 2 Rory McIlroy is the +750 favourite. He has yet to earn a Top 10 in two PGA Tour starts this year but played well in the Middle East in January. McIlroy starts here for the 10th time career but first since 2018. He won in 2012 by holding off Tiger Woods and finished second in 2014.
Big drop-off to second-favourite Cameron Young (+2200), followed by Russell Henley (+2500), Byeong Hun An (+2800), Eric Cole (+2800) and Matt Fitzpatrick (+2800).
Young last played here in 2022 and was 16th. He comes off T16 two weeks ago in Los Angeles. Henley won here in 2014 in a four-man playoff and was third in 2021. Cole was the runner-up to Chris Kirk (+4000) last year. Fitzpatrick hasn’t played the tournament since 2017. Jake Knapp, a 29-year-old rookie who won the Mexico Open on Sunday for his first career PGA Tour victory, is +5000 this week.
No Canadian has won the Cognizant Classic, but Mackenzie Hughes finished runner-up by a shot in 2020 and Dan Halldorson was a co-runner-up in 1991 to Steve Pate. Taylor Pendrith was the top finisher last year at T42 and Adam Svensson T49. Ben Silverman and Michael Gligic missed the cut. Corey Conners is +3500 this week with Svensson +5500, Pendrith +8000 and Silverman +15000.
The Cognizant Classic Golf Predictions
Take McIlroy for a Top 10, but the winner is Byeong Hun An at +2800. He was 21st here last year and also has two Top 5s at the event. The South Korean has two Top 10s already this year but has yet to win career on the PGA Tour.
