Kris Johnson iGaming Journalist
Kris Johnson is a Charlotte-based deputy editor. He joined CasinoBeats in July 2025 and oversees the daily news flow of editing and publishing. Kris also reports on all aspects of the gambling industry with a...
Read Full BioThe PGA Tour makes its first stop in Florida as the 2026 season rolls on with the Cognizant Classic. Formerly known as the Honda Classic, the event is still being played at PGA National, which has produced several longshot winners in recent years.
Jacob Bridgeman won last week’s Genesis Invitational at +8000 (80-1) odds, and we could see another first-time PGA Tour winner for the second straight week. Joe Highsmith and Austin Eckroat picked up their maiden tour wins at PGA National over the past two years.
Let’s get to our Cognizant Classic odds, predictions, best bets, and picks now.
2026 Cognizant Classic Odds at DraftKings
Here are Cognizant Classic odds on top players at DraftKings as of publication:
- Ryan Gerard +1800
- Shane Lowry +1900
- Nicolai Hojgaard +2150
- Rasmus Hojgaard +2350
- Michael Thorbjornsen +2450
- Keith Mitchell +2600
- Brooks Koepka +2900
- Daniel Berger +3300
- Davis Thompson +3400
- Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen +3700
- Alex Smalley +3700
- Will Zalatoris +3800
- Max McGreevy +4000
- Thorbjorn Olesen +4100
- Rico Hoey +4300
- Kristoffer Reitan +4600
- Christiaan Bezuidenhout +4700
- Chris Kirk +4800
- Mac Meissner +4800
- John Keefer +4800
- Haotong Li +4800
- Max Homa +5300
- Mackenzie Hughes +5400
- Jordan Smith +5500
- Michael Brennan +5800
- Stephan Jaeger +5900
Best Bet on Favorite to Win Cognizant Classic
Shane Lowry (+1900)
Shane Lowry is tracking toward his first victory at PGA National. He’s finished T-11 or better in his last four starts there and never missed the cut in eight attempts. The three-time PGA Tour winner lives in nearby Jupiter, effectively making this a home game.
After finishing solo second back in 2022, Lowry then reeled off finishes of T-5, T-4, and T-11. Lowry is also in solid form after finishing T-8 at Pebble Beach and T-24 at last week’s Genesis Invitational.
The Irishman won’t be phased by a weekend weather forecast that calls for rain and wind. Heavy thunderstorms are forecast for Saturday.
Best Bet on Sleeper Pick to Win Cognizant Classic
Daniel Berger (+3300)
Daniel Berger nearly won in his debut at PGA National in 2015 before the rookie lost in a playoff to Padraig Harrington.
Berger added a pair of top-five finishes in 2020 and 2022. His 2026 season has been solid with a T-6 finish in the Sony Open and a T-16 result in the WM Open in Phoenix.
Like Lowry, Berger lives in Jupiter. The Florida State product performs well in windy conditions and on Bermuda grass greens.
Best Bet on Longshot to Win Cognizant Classic
Sam Ryder (+12000)
Sam Ryder has a pair of top-10 finishes at PGA National in recent years. This is a relatively weak field, which should make for a wide-open affair.
Ryder also boasts some solid metrics this season. He ranks third among tour players in Strokes Gained: Putting (1.344) and fourth with an average of 27.38 putts per round. For Strokes Gained: Approach the Green, Ryder’s 1.094 mark ranks him fifth on tour this season.
Ryder could follow Highsmith and Eckroat as the third PGA Tour first-time winner at this event in the last three years.
