The PGA Tour will make its debut in Florida in 2024 with the Cognizant Classic. The performance will take place at the location that has been its home since 2007 from February 29 to March 3.
The Cognizant Classic will be held on the Champion Course at PGA National Resort. Founded in 1980, the college is tucked away in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
There are six 18-hole courses in the PGA National Resort. There are The Fazio, The Palmer, The Estates, The Match, and The Staple in addition to The Champion. Karl Litten created The Staple, while Arnold Palmer created the course that bears his name. George and Tom Fazio created the first four.
At the PGA National Resort, the 7,048-yard Champion Course has a par of 72. It slopes at 148 and has a grade of 75.2.
Since 2007, the Palm Beach Classic has been held on the course. Furthermore, it has served as the host site for 19 consecutive Senior PGA Championships (1982 to 2000), the 1987 PGA Championship, and the 1983 Ryder Cup.
In 2002, Jack Nicklaus redesigns the Champion course. The par-3, par-4, and par-3 holes on “The Bear Trap,” which is home to the fabled Golden Bear, present a challenging challenge to golfers.
The Cognizant Classic: A Brief History
Originally known as Jackie Gleason’s Innovative Classic, the Cognizant Classic was established in 1972 and was hosted by American actor, comedian, and musician Jackie Gleason. Honda sponsored the event for a very long time (1982–2023). The first edition in which Cognizant will play that function is the 2024 edition.
South Florida has always hosted the event. At least seven courses have played host to it, with the most consistent locations being PGA National Resort (15) and Inverrary Country Club (11).
Justin Leonard holds the lowest score of the competition (24-under 264) since his victory in 2003. The biggest margin of victory is split between two players. In 1977, Jack Nicklaus defeated Gary Player by five shots, and in 2021, Matt Jones defeated Brandon Hagy by the same margin.
The event has only been won by four players in total. The event was won twice by Nicklaus (1977, 1978). Johnny Miller (1980, 1983), Mark Calcavecchia (1987, 1998), and Pádraig Harrington (2005, 2015) were the next winners.
The South Florida Classic has been played and won by numerous other illustrious figures in golf history. Lee Trevino, Fred Couples, Vijay Singh, Luke Donald, Ernie Els, Rory McIlroy, and Justin Thomas are a few of them.
The event, which is now known as the Cognizant Classic, has seen a number of noteworthy incidents. Among other notable achievements is the first-ever Austrian victory on the PGA Tour (Sepp Straka, 2022).
Another noteworthy event was Rory McIlroy’s ascent to the top of the world rankings following his triumph in 2012.
