Cognizant Classic Odds: Betting Guide For PGA National

This year’s Cognizant Classic, previously known as the Honda Classic, will take place Thursday, February 29 through Sunday, March 3 at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Chris Kirk won a playoff over Eric Cole in last year's event - his first Tour victory in eight-plus years. Kirk is +4000 to win the event this year.

Cognizant CLASSIC ODDS

Cognizant Classic odds have been posted by top sportsbooks. Rory McIlroy (+700) and Cameron Young (+2000) are the betting favorites to win in 2024.

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PGA NATIONAL COURSE SPECS

• Yards: 7,125
• Par: 70 (4x 3s / 12x 4s / 2x 5s)
• Greens: Bermuda
• Average Green Size: 7,000 sq. ft. (Above Average)
• Average Fairway Width: 30 Yards (Below Average)
• Rough: 2.5″ Bermuda over-seeded with Rye (Average)
• Architect: George & Tom Fazio (Renovations from Jack Nicklaus)
• Historical Cut Line: +2 to +5
• Comp Courses: Bay Hill, Innisbrook (Copperhead), Concession GC, Quail Hollow, Waialae CC, Colonial CC, TPC Twin Cities, TPC Southwind, TPC Sawgrass

PGA National INTRODUCTION

PGA National is not a long course by PGA TOUR standards, but with persistent water hazards in play throughout, it places a premium on Total Driving and rewards players who can consistently hit fairways with driver in hand. PGA National features Bermuda grass throughout, and with its exposure to high winds, has rewarded top all-around tee-to-green players who thrive in difficult scoring conditions and are familiar with putting on Bermuda grass.

The Bear Trap

We will hear a lot about the dreaded bear trap this week. The arduous stretch from holes 15–17 play as the fourth-most difficult three-hole stretch on the PGA TOUR schedule. It sits behind only Quail Hollow (16-8), Pebble Beach (8-10) and Muirfield Village (16-18).

Water looms throughout the Bear Trap, which includes two 175-yard par-3s and a tight dogleg par-4 just over 430 yards. It always makes for a climactic finish with chasers taking aggressive lines at these tight pin locations over the water. Leaders have done their best to stay dry and escape into the par-5 18th at level par.

COGNIZANT CLASSIC ODDS: COURSE HISTORY & BETTING TRENDS

In terms of Course History, Justin Rose, Justin Thomas, Daniel Berger, Sungjae Im, and Sepp Straka highlight the list of players who have repeatedly played well here, suggesting this is a good week to reference recent performance on the Florida Swing to identify players who fare best on Bermuda.

Over the last 10 years, six players won with opening odds longer than 80-1. This week, it is a favorable setup to consider betting longshots. Favorites converted well here too, with Justin Thomas, Rickie Fowler, and Adam Scott winning at below 20-1 odds within that span. Even players with established course history like Sungjae Im are susceptible to missed cuts here. This isn’t a week I’m looking to pay a premium for course history at as long as players enter with solid recent form.

Each of the last seven winners posted a top-16 finish in the two months prior to this event. PGA National is not a get-right spot as a complete test from tee-to-green. So, it’s best to identify players who are trending in the right direction coming out of the first stretch of the season in Hawaii and California.

How to bet on the Cognizant Classic

Betting on the Cognizant Classic is simple as more and more states have legalized sports betting. Golf is one of the more popular sports to bet on at legal online sportsbooks as it offers big payouts thanks to the long odds on golfers.

Sepp Straka, last year's winner at PGA National, had +10000 odds to win, for instance. A $10 pre-tournament bet on Straka to win would have won you a cool $1,000. Identifying longshot winners, of course, is difficult. It's best to do plenty of research on course history and the current form of golfers in the tournament field.

Outright winner is just one of many ways you can bet on the Cognizant Classic. Other popular ways are Top 5, Top 10, Top 20, and even Top 40 finish. You get shorter odds by betting these, obviously, but there is an increased chance of you cashing. Sportsbooks have props available for each tournament like "Wire-to-wire Winner," "Will there be a Hole in One?," and "Winning Margin."