Cognizant Classic Round 1

Date
Thu 26th February 2026 (UTC)
Thu 26th February 2026 (Local)

Timestamp
2026-02-26T11:45:00

Time

11:45:00 UTC (06:45:00 Local)

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League
PGA Tour

Season
2026

Round
8

Status
Match Finished

Location

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Description

The PGA Tour makes its annual migration to the East Coast as the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches kicks off the 2026 Florida Swing. Known for its treacherous water hazards and the infamous "Bear Trap"—the three-hole stretch from 15 to 17—the Champion Course at PGA National remains one of the most demanding tests on the calendar. While the field is headlined by major champions like Brooks Koepka and Shane Lowry, the tournament's "tweener" position on the schedule opens the door for rising stars and veterans to secure a career-changing victory. With the course playing firmer due to a dry spell in South Florida, precision iron play and disciplined course management will be the themes of the week.

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Result List

Result Description

Austin Smotherman delivered the round of his life on Thursday, carding a blistering 9-under-par 62 to take a one-shot lead after the first round. Smotherman, who entered the week ranked 127th in the world, went on a historic tear with six consecutive birdies starting at the 7th hole, eventually tying the tournament's all-time 18-hole scoring record. He leads Colombia's Nico Echavarria, who posted a superb 63 of his own during the morning wave when conditions were at their most benign.

The day also featured one of the most chaotic scorecards in recent memory from rookie David Ford. Despite a quadruple-bogey 7 at the par-3 17th after two failed attempts to hit out of the water, Ford remarkably holed out for back-to-back eagles on the 2nd and 3rd holes to finish with a respectable 72. Meanwhile, tournament favorite Brooks Koepka struggled to find his rhythm, posting a 3-over 74 that leaves him with significant work to do on Friday just to make the cut.

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