This event, formerly known as the Honda Classic, is one of my favorite stops on the first half of the PGA Tour schedule.
It’s now called Cognizant Classic in Palm Beach, but it doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue.
Rory McIlroy headlined one of the strongest fields in action at PGA National in a while.
It has been a regular stop on the PGA Tour for many years, meaning there is a ton of great data to be gleaned from the course. However, the 10th hole has undergone remodeling.
The previously long par 4 has been extended by about 25 yards to become an accessible par 5 of about 530 yards. This doesn’t make a huge difference in terms of actual stroke, but it does make par easier.
Winning scores are typically in the 8-under to 11-under range, so this week the winner could be minus-15 under.
PGA National plays a par 71 of 7,147 yards.
Like most courses in Florida, there are water hazards everywhere. With 15 of the 18 holes taking place, this event sees a significant number of penalty strokes each year.
The course also features the famous “Bear Trap,” one of the most difficult three-hole stretches on the PGA Tour.
Long hitters have had success here for years, but distance is not a prerequisite for success. The average drive distance in this event last year was just 280.4 yards, one of the lowest on the PGA Tour.
With water everywhere, narrow fairways, and many doglegs, golfers will choose to club down on many holes.
The greens are average in size (7,000 square feet) and feature Bermuda grass. They typically play around 12 on the stimpmeter, which is pretty fast by PGA Tour standards.
Last year, golfers only reached the green in regulation 64% of the time, leading to more scrambling opportunities.
A decent short game is certainly appealing as it’s not a simple up and down like you see on tour.
When it comes to the type of golfer I want to bet on this week, I prefer good approach play, good play around the greens, bogey avoidance, Florida experience, success on difficult courses, and a decent finish in this event. Masu. past.
Here are my outright betting cards this week:
2024 Cognizant Classic Recommended Content
Eric Cole (+2500, FanDuel)
This was the event that officially launched Cole’s PGA Tour career.
He almost won last year at odds of 150/1, but ultimately lost to Chris Kirk in the playoffs.
He parlayed that finish into a ton of top-10 and top-20 performances that earned him the Tour’s Rookie of the Year award.
He is getting closer and closer to that first victory.
I like to bet him on courses where distance isn’t as advantageous. He’s top-notch on his approach, well above average around the greens, and one of the best putters on tour.
He has four top-four finishes in his past 12 starts. If he continues to put himself in contention, it’s only a matter of time before Blake goes his way.
He should return to PGA National this week feeling great.
Ahn Byung-hoon (+2800, FanDuel)
Benny Anne almost won the Sony Open earlier this year. He was in a playoff with two other golfers and was four feet away from birdie.
He was practically holding the trophy with one hand until Grayson Murray hit a 40-foot shot. At that point, the momentum completely changed and Ahn missed a 4-foot shot, forcing another playoff hole.
He currently has top-five finishes in four of his last 10 appearances around the world.
Do you want to bet on golf?
Like Cole, if he continues to give himself a chance on Sunday, he will break through and win one of the events.
He has great splits on the Bermuda course and has finished T-5 or better at this event twice in his career.
Christian Bezuidenhout (+6000, FanDuel)
This is a little further down the road.
Bezuidenhout isn’t a great driver, but he has always had a good short game.
More recently, we’ve seen him make a turnaround in his approach play. In his last four starts, he has gained 12 strokes or more on approach.
He has had great results on Bermuda courses throughout his career and has also had great results on difficult courses.
Although he has never won on the PGA Tour, he has won three times on the DP World Tour. He participated in this event twice, finishing T-42 and his T-25.
