The Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches, formerly the Honda Classic, is held this week at PGA National's Champion Course, the event's venue since 2007. Known for its demanding layout, the course features the infamous "Bear Trap"—a notoriously tough stretch of holes 15 through 17, designed by Jack Nicklaus, and widely considered one of the most difficult three-hole sequences on the PGA TOUR.
PGA National is ranked as the 19th most predictive course on TOUR. While there have been a few outliers, like Austin Eckroat's victory last year despite missing the cut in his 2023 debut, two of the previous four winners had recorded a top-10 finish here.
With that in mind, let’s break down some key categories: 'Horses for Courses'—players who have consistently performed well at this event, 'Donkeys for Courses'—those who have historically struggled, and 'Turtles'—golfers who excel in Bogey Avoidance, a crucial stat at PGA National due to the challenging nature of its layout.
Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches: Horses
Players who consistently thrived at PGA National Resort (The Champion Course).
Shane Lowry
Shane Lowry has played in this tournament six times, including each of the last five years. During his first four appearances at PGA National, he struggled to break into the top 20, with his best finish being a T21 in 2020. However, he's found his stride in recent years, finishing runner-up in 2022, T5 in 2023, and T4 in 2024.
Sam Ryder
Sam Ryder has made five starts this PGA TOUR season, making the cut in each event, though he's yet to record a top-20 finish. He debuted at this tournament in 2020, finishing T53. Since then, he's delivered solid performances, placing T8 in 2021, T9 in 2022, and T21 in 2023.
Cameron Young
Cameron Young made his tournament debut back in 2022, finishing T16. After skipping the event in 2023, he returned to PGA National in 2024 and impressed with a T4 finish.
Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches: Donkeys
Players who struggle repeatedly at PGA National Resort (The Champion Course).
Henrik Norlander
Henrik Norlander, the 37-year-old from Sweden, has made five starts on the PGA TOUR this season, missing the cut in three of them. He has played in this tournament three times but has yet to make the cut at PGA National. Across those appearances, he's lost a combined 16.40 strokes gained against the field.
Nick Hardy
Nick Hardy has endured a rough start to the 2025 season, missing the cut in each of his first five PGA TOUR starts. This will mark his fourth appearance at PGA National, where he's yet to make the cut in his three previous trips. Over those appearances, he's lost a combined 10.86 strokes gained against the field.
Hayden Buckley
Hayden Buckley has had a tough start to the season, missing the cut at both The American Express and the Mexico Open, and withdrawing mid-tournament at the Farmers Insurance Open. He made his tournament debut in 2020, finishing 69th. Since then, he has played this event three more times but has yet to make the cut. Across his four appearances at PGA National, he's lost a combined 24.59 strokes gained against the field.
Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches: Turtles
Slow, steady, and strategic—much like a player focused on avoiding bogeys, tortoises take their time, steering clear of risky situations. PGA National is one of the toughest courses on the PGA TOUR, where minimizing mistakes and managing challenging conditions are essential for staying competitive. Here’s a look at golfers who excel in Bogey Avoidance.
Bud Cauley
Bud Cauley has made two starts this season, finishing T30 at the Sony Open in Hawaii and T21 at the WM Phoenix Open. He currently leads the PGA TOUR in Bogey Avoidance. Cauley has competed in this tournament seven times, struggling in his first four appearances at PGA National. However, he's shown steady improvement in his last three starts at this event, finishing T12 in 2019, T42 in 2020, and T21 in 2024.
Kevin Roy
Kevin Roy earned back his PGA TOUR card this year following a strong 2024 season on the Korn Ferry Tour. He has played in four tournaments this season, recording two top-20 finishes. Roy currently ranks 2nd on the PGA TOUR in Bogey Avoidance. He made his tournament debut in 2023, finishing T29.
Keith Mitchell
Keith Mitchell currently ranks 3rd on the PGA TOUR in Bogey Avoidance. He’s had a solid start to the 2025 season, finishing inside the top 33 in each of his first four starts. However, he has yet to break into the top 20, with his best result being a T21 at The American Express. Mitchell has competed in this tournament six times, winning in 2019, and has finished inside the top 10 in his last two appearances at the event.