2025 Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches Predictions

The PGA Tour continues on this week as it visits the Champion Course at PGA National Resort for the 2025 Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches. Designed by Tom and George Fazio in 1981, the Champion Course at PGA National Resort will play as a Par 71, 7,167 yard layout this week. Marking the start of the Florida swing on tour, the Champion Course plays host to this week’s event for the 19th consecutive season.

This event has traditionally served as one of the more harder, non-major events each season on tour. With water in play on 15 holes, plenty of green side bunkers to catch wayward approaches and the notorious Bear Trap of holes 15-17, players will have their hands full as they contend for the win this week. To find success, players must be crisp with their irons. With plenty of trouble lurking, a round can quickly derail with just a few off-kilter shots. This week is by no means a birdie fest either. Although the last two winners have finished at -14 or better, 16 of the last 20 winners have finished at -12 or worse for the week. On a week like this, par can truly be a great score. Just grinding out pars and avoiding those big mistakes will go a long way towards giving a player hope as the week plays on. With testy, Bermudagrass greens in play this week,  players will have a true test to contend with, especially if the winds start picking up and the heat starts drying these greens out. With a relatively weak field this week, will we have another upset winner, like Brian Campbell last week? Or will the cream rise to the top, with one of the studs getting the job done down in Florida?

Despite the lacking of a deep field for this edition of the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches, it still features some quality players and fan favorites teeing it up, including Daniel Berger, Russell Henley, Sungjae Im, Shane Lowry and Sepp Straka, as well as Austin Eckroat, Billy Horschel, Andrew Novak, Patrick Rodgers and Jordan Spieth, just to name a few,

The Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches has been a long-standing event on tour, with the first edition being held in 1972. Despite its age and grandeur, only four players have won this event more than once, with Jack Nicklaus, Johnny Miller, Mark Calcavecchia and Padraig Harrington each winning this event twice in their careers.

Last year’s edition was won by Austin Eckroat, who picked up his maiden PGA Tour victory by three strokes over Min Woo Lee and Erik van Rooyen. Jake Knapp, K. H. Lee, Shane Lowry, David Skinns and Cameron Young all finished T-4, four strokes off the pace.

Player to Fade:

Four events played in 2025, four missed cuts. It’s going to be five for five come Friday evening for Kevin Velo.

Dark Horse:

Sure, Christiaan Bezuidenhout’s not having a great season thus far. He does have a Top 10 on the season, though, and I don’t think a Top 20 finish is out of the question this weekend.  

Top 10:

I’m seeing a lot of buzz regarding Shane Lowry heading into this weekend. He performs well at PGA National, can’t deny it. I just can’t see him winning this weekend, though. In just three events this season, he’s been cut and finished T39. Sure, he was the runner-up at the Pro Am, but still. Give me Lowry for a Top 10 finish this weekend, but not the win.

Winner:

Sepp Straka has had a solid first two months of 2025, having won The American Express and four finishes of 15th or better. The field this weekend is not stellar, which should allow Straka to rise to the top and take the crown.