The PGA Tour’s Florida swing kicks off this week at PGA National. Chris Kirk’s back to defend his Cognizant Classic title at the Palm Beaches, after his emotional playoff win last year. But all eyes are on Rory McIlroy, the World No. 2, as the tournament’s seen a bit of a drop-off in big names recently due to the PGA TOUR’s schedule changes.
McIlroy famously won here in 2012 when the competition was known as the Honda Open. He beat an in-form Tiger Woods to win the title and become the World No.1 for the first time in his career. The Irishman, however, is not the only participant who comes into the tournament with sweet memories of the PGA National Resort’s Champion course.
Former champion Rickie Fowler, who was not in the field last year, returns to fight for glory. Former PGA National victors Russell Henley, Keith Mitchell and Sepp Straka are also in contention. Let’s find out what bookmaker William Hill forecasts about the competition. Stay with us for a comprehensive 2024 Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches betting preview.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: February 28th, 7:00 A.M. (GMT)
Rory McIlroy is installed as the clear favourite six years after his return to Palm Beach. While undoubtedly the most high-profile player in the field, his PGA National record lacks consistency. Although he boasts a tournament victory here, it came over a decade ago. Similarly, his best finish since then was a tie for second in 2014. Additionally, he is yet to achieve a top 10 finish this season. Therefore, while there’s no question mark over his capabilities, McIlroy may not be the most reliable pick for this tournament.
J.T. Poston presents a stronger case for outright victory at 31.00. No other golfer in the competition has gained more strokes over the past six months than Poston. His strength lies in his short game, and his ball-striking has also witnessed notable improvement. He’s already bagged five top-10 finishes this year, so he might not be far away from the third PGA Tour win of his career.
Local boy Daniel Berger is also a solid contender at 34.00. Berger’s ball-striking looks promising after his injury break, as seen at both The American Express and the WM Phoenix Open. While his short game still needs fine-tuning, the switch to Bermuda grass and playing on his home turf in Florida should help ease some of the pressure.
Berger narrowly missed out on victory here in 2022, blowing a five-stroke lead on the final day. Despite that, he still managed a respectable fourth-place finish, his third top-five result in seven appearances at this tournament. Having seen Jake Knepp conquering the Mexico Open the last week, it doesn’t seem way too risky to back another longshot this weekend.
