12 golfers to watch at PGA Tour's Cognizant Classic 2024

The first Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches starts on Monday, Feb. 26, with qualifying and there's a Pro-Am Wednesday, Feb. 28, but the real golf runs Thursday, Feb. 29 through Sunday, March 3.

And the field for the Cognizant Classic 2024 is strong.

No. 3 in the world Rory McIlroy and No. 9 Matthew Fitzpatrick, both of Jupiter, have committed. They are among the 19 top 50 golfers in the field. Also confirming they will play the event at PGA National starting Feb. 29: Jupiter's Daniel Berger, who played in his first PGA Tour event in January after missing 18 months because of back issues; Delray Beach's Gary Woodland, who has returned after underdoing surgery on his brain in September to remove a lesion; Jupiter's Shane Lowry; Justin Rose; Billy Horschel; and 2023 U.S. Ryder Cup captain, Zach Johnson.

12 golfers to watch at the 2024 Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches, formerly Honda Classic:

Daniel Berger

Best Honda Classic finish: 2nd in 2015 (lost playoff to Padraig Harrington)Berger, the Jupiter resident and Dwyer High graduate, returns to Cognizant after missing two of the last three events because of injury. Once No. 12 in the world rankings, Berger was forced to take off 19 months because of back issues, returning in January. Since, he has played in three events, surviving the cut in two, the American Express and Phoenix Open. Berger is a four-time winner on the PGA Tour. He has played here seven times with three top 4 finishes, including his runner-up in his first time playing the event and placing fourth in 2020 and 2022.

Eric Cole

Best Honda Classic finish: 2nd in 2023 (lost playoff to Chris Kirk)Cole, 35, won the PGA Tour Rookie of Year after a breakout season in which he had 14 top 25s and twice was runner-up, including his debut here. Cole, who lives in Tequesta, shot a 266 on the Champion Course to force a playoff with Chris Kirk. Cole and Kirk carded the lowest scores since the tournament moved to PGA National in 2007. Cole qualified for the FedEx Cup Playoff and earned his way in the 2024 signature events. He has played in seven tournaments this year with five top 25s, including a T10 at the Genesis Invitational.

Matthew Fitzpatrick

Best Cognizant Classic finish: 68th in 2017Fitzpatrick is making his third start here, first since 2017. Since, he has risen to become one of the best in the world. The Jupiter resident is ranked No. 9 and been in the top 10 every week since winning the RBC Heritage in April, his second PGA Tour win to go along with the 2022 U.S. Open. Born in England, Fitzpatrick has played five events this season, missing two cuts, including the limited field Genesis Invitational. He best finish is T14 at Sentry. He was a member of the winning 2023 European Ryder Cup team.

Rickie Fowler

Best Cognizant Classic finish: Champion in 2017Fowler snapped a streak of 13th consecutive Cognizant starts in 2023. The Jupiter resident won in 2017 and has three other top 10s, including runner-up in 2019, one shot behind Keith Mitchell. Fowler has played in four PGA Tour events this season, missing two cuts. His best finish was T35 at Genesis. After a prolonged slump, he rebounded last year with his sixth PGA Tour win (Rocket Mortgage), first in more than four years, and eight top 10s. Ranked No. 30 in the world, his ranking had dropped to 185 late in the 2022 season.

Billy Horschel

Best Honda Classic finish: T4 in 2017Horschel is among the most popular players on the Florida Swing as a native Floridian who lives in Ponte Vedra Beach, plus being a Florida Gator. He is making his 12th start here and has two top 10 finishes. He is a seven-time winner on the PGA Tour, the most recent the 2022 Memorial, Horschel's world ranking has dropped from a high of No. 11 to 91st. Horschel has played four events this season, missed the cut twice and finishing T18 at the Sony Open.

Tom Kim

Best Honda Classic finish: First time in fieldKim is No. 16 in the world after starting the year at No. 11. He has won three PGA Tour events, including the 2022 and 2023 Shriners Children's Open, and has seven international wins. Kim, from South Korea, was 21st in the FedEx Cup points list in 2023, making him eligible for the eight signature events. His victory in the 2022 Wyndham Championship made him the first Tour winner born after 2000. He has played five PGA Tour events this season; his best finish 17th at the Phoenix Open.

Chris Kirk

Best Cognizant Classic finish: Champion in 2023Kirk went eight years between PGA Tour wins before defeating Eric Cole in a playoff at the 2023 event. That was part of solid season in which he added two third-place finishes and was 31st in the FedEx Cup standings, making him eligible for the signature events. Kirk, a Georgia Bulldog who lives in Athens, won this season's first event, the Sentry. A six-time winner on the PGA Tour, he has two top 10s and four top 25s in 12 previous starts at PGA National.

Shane Lowry

Best Honda Classic finish: runner-up in 2022Lowry, the Jupiter resident, will play here for the fifth straight year, and seventh time overall. He finished one shot behind champion Sepp Straka in 2022, finishing 9-under with three consecutive 67s to close. He followed that with a T5 last year. The Irishman has two PGA Tour titles, including the 2019 British Open, and six DP World Tour wins to his credit. He was a member of the winning 2023 European Ryder Cup team.

Rory McIlroy

Best Cognizant Classic finish: Champion in 2012McIlroy, the Jupiter resident, returns after a five-year absence. He played nine times from 2009-2018, winning in 2012 and tying for second in 2014. McIlroy's title in 2012 vaulted him to No. 1 in the world ranking for the first time. McIlroy has won 24 times on the PGA Tour, including four majors. As No. 2 in the world, he is the highest ranked golfer in the field since he was No. 1 before the 2015 tournament. He has played just two PGA Tour events this season.

Justin Rose

Best Honda Classic finish: 3rd in 2010Rose returns for the 11th time, his second since 2015. He had three consecutive top 5 finishes in 2010, 2012, 2013 and missed two cuts. The former No. 1 in the world and 2013 U.S. Open champion has 11 career PGA Tour wins, his last at Pebble Beach in 2023. Rose, a native of South Africa, has played four PGA Tour events this season, his best finish T11 at Pebble Beach. He was a member of the winning 2023 European Ryder Cup team.

Sepp Straka

Best Honda Classic finish: Champion in 2022Straka's victory two years ago, when he overcame a five-shot deficit on Sunday, was his first on the PGA Tour. He added a second at the 2023 John Deere Classic. Ranked No. 25 in the world, this Georgia Bulldog became the first Austrian to win on Tour. He has played in four events this year, missing the cut twice. His best finish is a T12 at Sentry. He was a member of the winning 2023 European Ryder Cup team.

Gary Woodland

Best Honda Classic finish: 21st in 2017Woodland underwent surgery in September to remove a lesion on his brain and returned in January. After missing three consecutive cuts, he played into the weekend at the Genesis Invitational, closing T39 with a four-day total of 1-under. The Delray Beach resident and Topeka, Kansas, native, has finished in the top 10 four times in nine starts here. Woodland has four career PGA Tour wins, including the 2019 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Golfers to watch at PGA Tour's Cognizant Classic 2024