The PGA Tour finally heads east with the Florida swing about to begin. This means early morning golf, lots of water and for a lot of these courses some animal-themed nicknames. The Cognizant Classic, which was formerly known as the Honda Classic, offers all of this and more for what should be a very exciting week of golf. The “Bear Trap” is their famous stretch of holes, with all of them providing the drama we are used to with Florida golf. In this post, we’ll look at our Cognizant Classic odds, picks, betting predictions and more.
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PGA Cognizant Classic Odds, Picks & Betting Predictions for 2024
PGA Cognizant Classic Odds & Tournament Preview
| Golfer | Odds |
|---|---|
| Rory McIlroy | +700 |
| Cameron Young | +2200 |
| Russell Henley | +2500 |
| Eric Cole | +2500 |
| Matt Fitzpatrick | +2800 |
| Byeong Hun An | +2800 |
| J.T Poston | +3000 |
| Tom Kim | +3000 |
| Min Woo Lee | +3300 |
| Sungjae Im | +4000 |
Before we dive into the outright market to find some bets we need to get an idea of what type of skillset we’d want our players to have. Despite the name we still have PGA National as the venue, which is a course we should be familiar with.
It’s a Par 70 layout measuring just over 7,000 yards with plenty of hazards that will test this field. Certainly, precise irons and ball striking is needed, and emphasis on pure driving distance will be reduced.
Speaking of the field we have Rory McIlroy as the clear man to beat, but then the board opens up quickly. We know that 2024 has been the year of the longshot and if Rory doesn’t win then we could once again see a newcomer in the winner’s circle here.
Let’s dive into the board and identify the guys who were at the top of my list when building my Cognizant Classic betting card.
Cognizant Classic Outright Pick #1: Matthew Fitzpatrick
Step 1 with any golfer this week is going to be trying to get beyond Rory, the clear favorite. Assuming we get past him, we immediately jump into the 20-1+ range and that’s where we find Matthew Fitzpatrick. There is no debating Fitzpatrick is one of the most talented and world-class players in the field, and it’s that resume causing this number. The recent form hasn’t been even close to what we’ve expected so we need a big jump from what we saw in California.
So far this year the ball striking just hasn’t been there for Fitzy and with that has come sketchy results. Last time out at Genesis we saw a missed cut in a field with only 70 players, and that certainly is concerning. One positive is that looking at last year it was a similar slow start for Fitzpatrick and then out of nowhere his ball striking returned at the Arnold Palmer. It’s clear he has that quick turnaround in his game and this course should suit exactly what he typically thrives at. Given the field, I’ll gladly take 28-1 even if the recent form isn’t in ideal shape.
PGA Cognizant Classic Pick: Matthew Fitzpatrick 28-1 FanDuel
Cognizant Classic Outright Pick #2: Adam Svensson
I’ve mentioned Svensson already a few times in 2024 PGA and this is another spot I have some interest. Unlike Fitzpatrick, it’s just the opposite for the Canadian, as his slow start quickly turned around with a very respectable 10th-place finish at the Genesis. More than the finish was the fact it was all done with ball striking as he still lost strokes on the greens. With that in mind, we welcome a change of surface and hope that can just start the putter.
Digging in a little further, and it seems like Florida golf is where Svensson may be more comfortable, as he has plenty of experience and some quality results. Even here at PGA National, he’s found the weekend 3 straight times including a ninth in 2022. There are still a few 55-1’s out there, including BetMGM, which is a number I’ll gladly back a guy who I believe has what it takes to get in the hunt this week.
PGA Cognizant Classic Pick: Adam Svensson 55-1 BetMGM
Cognizant Classic Outright Pick #3: Christian Bezuidenhout
Here we go again with Bez who is at the top of my outright wish list in life. I’ve backed him so many times including earlier this year at the American Express where he finished runner-up to an Amateur, costing us a big-time payday. The results have been positive even outside that huge chance with three straight Top 30’s and ball striking on the rise. It’s clear to me that Bezuidenhout will continue to give himself chances on tour and with his numbers still in that 60-1 range any win pays off a ton of near misses from the past.
Going back to think about the course and it’s clear the South African possesses the right skillset to excel here. The irons have been on point for nearly all of 2024 and that will be step 1 to tackling PGA National. Now, his off-the-tee game cannot be too erratic, as the penalty for a missed shot in Florida is a little different considering how much water is out there. Sure that ups the variance but we just need to hope Bez avoids the blow-up holes and continues to play at the same level as we’ve seen so far this year.
PGA Cognizant Classic Pick: Christian Bezuidenhout 60-1 FanDuel
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