Cognizant final field a significant upgrade with more than double top 50 golfers from last year
The Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches has secured its best field in more than five years.
The PGA Tour loosening the schedule around Cognizant has led to a drastic upgrade in the event that starts Thursday at PGA National.
Cognizant has received commitments from 19 of the top 50 golfers in the latest Official World Golf Ranking, its most since 2017 and equaling the number from the past two years combined.
Included in the field of 144 golfers are two in the top 10 — No. 2 Rory McIlroy and No. 9 Matthew Fitzpatrick, both from Jupiter — and eight of the top 30.
The event has not had a top-10 golfer in the past three years. McIlroy is the highest-ranked to play since 2016 when he was No. 2 in the world.
The 2023 field included eight of the top 60 golfers, none higher than 18th.
"The schedule this year is certainly significantly better for the tournament there," said Chris Kirk, the 2023 champion. "I'm excited to see a good many top players committed and ready to go."
The tournament has a new title sponsor — it was known as the Honda Classic — and the PGA Tour Championship Management division now runs the event. The rebranding, along with the tour adding a week between the Genesis Invitational in Los Angeles and Cognizant has led to renewed energy.
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Cognizant added No. 23 Cameron Young of Jupiter, No. 33 Sungjae Im and No. 39 J.T. Poston on Friday. Those already committed: Tom Kim (No. 16), Sepp Straka (25), Kirk (26), Mattieu Pavon (27), Russell Henley (30), Jupiter's Rickie Fowler (31), Tequesta's Eric Cole (37), Tequesta's Lucas Glover (38), Ryan Fox (41), Min Woo Lee (42), Byeong Hun An (43), Jupiter's Denny McCarthy (46), Justin Rose (47) and Jupiter's Corey Connors (50).
The final ranking before the tournament starts comes out Monday.
Other notable names in the field include Jupiter's Daniel Berger, Delray Beach's Gary Woodland, Billy Horschel, Jupiter's Matt Kuchar, Jupiter's Shane Lowry, Keith Mitchell, Zach Johnson, Francesco Molinari and Padraig Harrington.
"Happy to see a good field," Kuchar said. "I've played the Honda at lots of different venues, I feel like PGA National is such a great home for Cognizant."
Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches
Feb. 28-March 3, PGA National, Palm Beach Gardens
TV: Golf Channel and NBC
Tickets: thecognizantclassic.com
2023 champion: Chris Kirk
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Cognizant Classic field a significant upgrade from last five years
