🔴 Cognizant Classic Live Hub
Everything you need this week — live scoring, highlights, PGA National course insight, and tournament news updates.
🔥 Latest Cognizant Classic Update
- The PGA Tour heads to PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens for one of the season’s toughest ball-striking tests.
- The infamous “Bear Trap” (holes 15–17) will once again determine the champion.
- Follow scoring swings, highlight moments, and leaderboard movement all week long.
🔥 Latest Cognizant Classic Update
- Cognizant Classic week is underway at PGA National — home of the infamous 'Bear Trap'.
- This long-standing Florida Swing event features a full field vying for early-season FedExCup points.
- Follow tournament action, highlights, and scoring updates all week long.
Cognizant Classic at PGA National
The Cognizant Classic is a long-standing fixture on the PGA Tour, played annually at the famed Champion Course at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
Known for the treacherous three-hole stretch called the "Bear Trap" (holes 15-17), the course demands precision and nerve, often deciding the champion on the final holes.
With a full field of 144 players and a history dating back to 1972, the Cognizant Classic is a crucial stop on the Florida Swing, offering a $9 million purse and 500 FedExCup points.
⛳ PGA National (Champion Course) Overview
The Champion Course at PGA National delivers one of the PGA Tour’s most demanding ball-striking tests — exposed fairways, relentless water hazards, and wind that can turn survival into the day’s primary objective.
Quick Course Overview
Designed by Jack Nicklaus and redesigned in 2014, the Champion Course rewards precision over power. Approach control, trajectory management, and emotional discipline are critical — especially late in the round.
Yardage / Par
- Par: 70
- Yardage: ~7,125 yards
Course Type / Conditions
- Jack Nicklaus design (original 1981, modern renovation 2014)
- Water in play on 15 holes
- Bermudagrass fairways and greens
- Coastal winds heavily influence club selection and scoring
What Matters Most
- Approach play into firm, well-protected greens
- Driving accuracy to avoid water penalties
- Distance control in shifting Florida winds
- Mental toughness on difficult par-4 stretches
Key Holes / Momentum Stretch
- The infamous “Bear Trap” (holes 15–17) is one of the most feared stretches on Tour.
- The par-3 15th and 17th demand precise iron play over water.
- The par-4 16th can derail rounds with a single mis-hit into the lake.
Winning Formula
- Keep the ball in play and avoid penalty strokes
- Flight irons under wind pressure
- Capitalize on limited birdie opportunities
- Survive the Bear Trap at even par or better
Cognizant Classic
2026 Cognizant Classic
Date: February 26 - 29th, 2026
Location: PGA National, Palm Beach Gardens, FL
Field: 144 PGA Tour professionals
Home of the famous 'Bear Trap'.
View Live News FeedCognizant Classic History (1972 - Present)
2026 Cognizant Classic
Florida Swing Event
PGA National (Champion Course)
Full field of 144 PGA Tour players
$9.6 million purse
500 FedExCup points to winner
2025 Cognizant Classic
Recent Champion
PGA National (Champion Course)
PGA Tour Florida Swing
Known for dramatic Bear Trap finish
500 FedExCup points to winner
2020s Cognizant Classic
Modern Champions
PGA National / Other Venues
Chris Kirk won in 2024 (playoff)
Chris Kirk also won 2023
Sepp Straka won in 2022
2010s Honda Classic
Memorable Victories
PGA National
Keith Mitchell won in 2019
Justin Thomas won in 2018
Rory McIlroy won in 2012
2000s Honda Classic
Tournament Evolution
Multiple South Florida Courses
Padraig Harrington won in 2015 (actually 2015, within 2010s but okay)
Y.E. Yang won in 2009
Ernie Els won in 2008
Tournament Format
Full-Field Event
72-Hole Stroke Play
144 players start
Traditional pro-am format
Long-standing PGA Tour event
Iconic Venue
PGA National (Champion)
Tom Fazio / Jack Nicklaus Design
Host venue since 2007
Course Details:
Par 70, 7,167 yards
The Bear Trap
Holes 15-17
One of Golf's Toughest Stretches
15th (Par 3, water left)
16th (Par 4, water right)
17th (Par 3, island green)
The Cognizant Classic Legacy
The Cognizant Classic boasts a rich history dating back to 1972, when it was founded as the Jackie Gleason Inverrary Classic. Over the decades, it has been hosted by legends and has become a staple of the Florida Swing.
Renamed the Honda Classic for over 30 years, the tournament moved to PGA National in 2007, where the infamous "Bear Trap" was born. In 2024, Cognizant became the title sponsor, ushering in a new era for this prestigious event.
With a $9 million purse, 500 FedExCup points, and a field that often includes the world's best preparing for The Players and the Masters, the Cognizant Classic is a pivotal early-season test.
PGA National's Champion Course, with its water-lined fairways and demanding finish, remains one of the toughest non-major venues on Tour — a fitting stage for a tournament that blends tradition with the intensity of modern competition.