The PGA Tour leaves the West Coast and moves to Florida for the next four weeks, starting with the Cognizant Classic at Jack Nicklaus’ PGA National. 123 golfers will tee it up in the Florida sunshine over the next four days.
Below, we'll break down our Congnizant Classic first-round picks and predictions for PrizePicks Team Picks and golfer projections on strokes and birdies from Player Picks.
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Cognizant Classic First Round Picks, Predictions for Thursday, 2/25
Only three of the top-30 players in the world are in action as this is between two Signature events of the last two weeks and next week's Arnold Palmer Invitational. However, plenty of good players to choose from.
Here are the payout projections for the top-10 golfers to be the first-round leader at the Cognizant Classic, via PrizePicks Team Picks.
PGA futures payouts are live as of publishing, but are subject to change.
- Shane Lowry - 22.22x Payout
- Nicolai Hojgaard - 22.22x
- Keith Mitchell - 22.22x
- David Lipsky - 33.33x
- Hank Lebioda - 33.33x
- Kevin Roy - 33.33x
- John Parry - 33.33x
- Kris Ventura - 33.33x
- Davis Thompson - 33.33x
- Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen - 33.33x
2026 Cognizant Classic Picks for First Round
Here are two players to consider for your Cognizant Classic first-round leader on PrizePicks Team Picks and Player Picks projections
Daniel Berger
Cognizant Classic First Round Leader Payout: Yes - 33.33x Payout
Cognizant Classic First Round Projections: 69 strokes, 4.5 Birdies or Better, 11.5 Pars, 9.5 Fairways hit
- Florida native Daniel Berger shot a 63 in the first round last year and would've shared First Round Leader honors if not for Jake Knapp's record 59.
- Berger was also a bridesmaid in First Round Leader honors in 2022, shooting a 65.
- Overall, at PGA National, Berger has three top-five finishes, including a runner-up in 2015 and fourth-place finishes in 2020 and 2022.
- On the season, Berger has made the cut in four of five events and has scored 68 or lower in three of the first rounds.
Sam Ryder
Sam Ryder Cognizant Classic First Round Leader Payout: Yes - 33.33x Payout
- Sam Ryder shot a 64, going out at 6:45 a.m. ET last year and 66, going out at 8:02 a.m. ET in 2024.
- This year? Ryder is in the second group out on Thursday, at 6:57 a.m. ET.
- He has two top-ten finishes in this event, and three of his seven sub-70 rounds at the Cognizant Classic occurred in the first round.
- Ryder led after 18 holes in three different events last season but did not go on to win any of them.
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Make 2026 Cognizant Classic Picks on PrizePicks
The PGA Tour begins its Florida Swing with the Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches. Can Daniel Berger, a former FSU player, go low in the first round on Thursday? Or will a long shot jump up and take the first round lead?
You can make your Cognizant Classic picks on PrizePicks and PrizePicks Team Picks to earn real money. Just pick players, predict More or Less on their projected stats, and cash in if you’re correct. With Team Picks, make predictions on winners, spreads, and over/unders, now available in 34 states.
