The inaugural Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches is the second of two Full-Field Events leading up to the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard.
Chris Kirk won the 2023 Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches in a playoff over Eric Cole, earning his fifth PGA TOUR title and first since the 2015 Charles Schwab Challenge (snapped a winless drought of 7 years, 9 months, 13 days). Kirk, who won The Sentry to open the 2024 season, enters the week No. 4 in the FedExCup standings. Kirk is
one of 10 past champions in the field.
Q. What are some of the flashbulb memories that come back, some of the main things you remember from last year’s win, whether it’s obviously hoisting the trophy has got to be one of them, but as far as being on the course and the challenge of this course? (Asked today – 27th February, 2024)
CHRIS KIRK: “Yeah, the playoff is obviously a pretty easy one to remember. That wedge shot is one that I’ll remember for the rest of my life, no doubt. But really the whole final round I was playing decent, making some birdies, hitting some good shots, but definitely made more mistakes than I would have liked on Sunday.
“But this is just a golf course that lends itself to that. It’s definitely one where any shot that’s a teeny bit off has a possibility of getting punished really heavily.
“I was able to really stay in it mentally and kind of knew that I always had a shot, even after making bogey on the 72nd hole. I got a little bit fortunate to be able to be in a playoff and get it done.
“This course is always one that is an ultimate test of every aspect of your game. I just remember that feeling of source of perseverance on Sunday”.
Following his runner-up at the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches, Cole became the only rookie to advance to the 2023 BMW Championship and went on to win the Arnold Palmer Award as the 2022-23 PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year.
He comes into the week a career-high 36th in the Official World Golf Ranking, 294 spots higher than in 2023 (moved from No. 330 to No. 179 with the runner-up in 2023).
The 2012 Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches champion Rory McIlroy is making his 10th start in the event and first since 2018 (T59). McIlroy is making his third start of the season and first in a Full-Field Event following a T66 at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and T24 at The Genesis Invitational. McIlroy, a 24-time PGA TOUR winner, has won six different TOUR events multiple times.
PGA TOUR events Rory McIlroy has won multiple times
3 TOUR Championship 2016, 2019, 2022
3 Wells Fargo Championship 2010, 2015, 2021
2 RBC Canadian Open 2019, 2022
2 THE CJ CUP 2021, 2022
2 Deutsche Bank Championship 2012, 2016
2 PGA Championship 2012, 2014
Matt Fitzpatrick, winner of the 2022 US Open, is making his third start at the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches and first since becoming a PGA TOUR member at the start of the 2019-20 season. Fitzpatrick received sponsor exemptions in 2016 (MC) and 2017 (68th). Fitzpatrick, No. 9, is one of two players in the field in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Ranking, along with McIlroy (No. 2).
This is the first time the event has had multiple top-10 players in the field since 2019 (3).
PGA TOUR rookie Jake Knapp won last week’s Mexico Open at Vidanta, earning his first career title on TOUR. With the victory, Knapp moved to No. 8 in the FedExCup standings and earned a spot in all five remaining Signature Events in 2024. He also received exemptions to THE PLAYERS Championship, Masters Tournament, PGA
Championship and 2025 Sentry.
Knapp is looking to become the first player to earn his first two wins in consecutive starts since Camilo Villegas in 2008 (BMW Championship, TOUR Championship) and the first player to earn his first two wins in consecutive events on the TOUR schedule since David Duval in 1997 (Michelob Championship at Kingsmill, Walt Disney World/Oldsmobile Classic).
Knapp is the third rookie to win on TOUR through eight events this season, matching the total number of rookie winners on TOUR in 54 events during the 2022-23 season.
Rookie winners on TOUR in 2022/’23 and 2024 teeing-up include Jake Knapp Mexico Open at Vidanta, Ludvig Åberg 2023 RSM Classic, Matthieu Pavon Farmers Insurance Open, Vincent Norrman 2023 Barbasol Championship, Nick Dunlap The American Express and Nico Echavarria 2023 Puerto Rico Open.
