Welcome to the Florida swing! The Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches kicks off the PGA Tour’s annual run through the Sunshine State.
Joe Highsmith won the event in 2025, and he’s back looking for a repeat. Max McGreevy tied for fourth last year, while Erik van Rooyen finished in the top 10 with Shane Lowry, Andrew Putnam, Doug Ghim and Brice Garnett coming close behind. Ryan Gerard and Aaron Rai are among the early favorites after Jacob Bridgeman, Ben Griffin and Adam Scott withdrew from the field.
Brooks Koepka will look to improve in his third PGA Tour event since returning from LIV Golf. Austin Eckroat, Chris Kirk, Keith Mitchell, Camilo Villegas and Matt Kuchar are after their second wins at PGA National.
Watch Cognizant Classic live on Fubo (free trial)
Cognizant Classic leaderboard
Round 1 was complete by 6:25 p.m. ET. Those who started on the back nine are marked with an asterisk.
Keep up with all the scores on USA TODAY’s leaderboard.
Austin Smotherman, Nico Echavarria lead after Round 1
There’s a clear two-man race atop the leaderboard after the first round of the Cognizant Classic. Austin Smotherman holds the Day 1 lead with a 9-under 62 with Nico Echavarria a stroke behind. The players tied for third sit four strokes out of second place. Neither Smotherman nor Echavarria bogeyed throughout their rounds.
Brooks Koepka in danger of missing cut
In his third PGA Tour event since leaving LIV Golf, Palm Beach County native Brooks Koepka struggled to close his first round at the Cognizant Classic. A bogey and double bogey on the 16th and 17th holes led to the five-time major champion finishing with a 3-over 74 in Round 1. He’ll need to improve in Friday’s second round to make the weekend cut. He sank two birdies in the first round, including this one on the par-4 sixth.
Will Zalatoris withdraws, replaced by Ben Silverman
Will Zalatoris pulled out of the Cognizant Classic shortly before he was scheduled to tee off. The runner-up at the 2021 Masters said he withdrew because of an ankle injury. Ben Silverman took his place in the group with Brooks Koepka and Daniel Berger.
Cognizant Classic schedule and how to watch
Round 1: Thursday, Feb. 26
Round 1 of the 2026 Cognizant Classic will broadcast nationally on Golf Channel starting at 2 p.m. Featured group and hole streaming from PGA Tour Live is available on the ESPN app (with a subscription to the Select plan) starting at 6:45 a.m.
Cognizant Classic tee times
All times Eastern.
*- replaced Will Zalatoris, who withdrew before starting Round 1
Cognizant Classic weather: Day 1 Thursday
AccuWeather predicts a high of 80 degrees with clouds and sun in the forecast today in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Winds are expected to blow out of the south-southeast at 10-15 mph. There is a 1% chance of rain.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Cognizant Classic leaderboard, PGA Tour updates, Round 1 leaders
Reporting by Dan Rorabaugh, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
