At the beginning, the Cognizant Classic was known as the Jackie Gleason Inverary Classic in 1972. Of course, Gleason was a top entertainer in those days whose name was associated with this event through 1980. Last year, Chris Kirk beat the Golf Betting Lines in 2023 to win the Cognizant Classic. Last time that a previous winner won again was Johnny Miller in 1983. Mark Calcavecchia in 1998, and Padraig Harrington in 2015. The Golden Bear, Jack Nicklaus, is the only repeat champion (1978). This week’s field offers both strong value opportunities offset by peril.
2024 Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches
| When: | February 29, 2024 through March 3, 2024 |
|---|---|
| Where: | PGA National Resort (The Champion), Palm Beach Gardens, FL |
| Course: | 7147 Yards, Par 71 |
| Purse: | $9 million |
| Defending Champion: | Chris Kirk |
| TV Coverage: | NBC, GOLF, ESPN+, Peacock |
2024 Cognizant Classic Betting Odds Betting Odds
| Golfer | Odds |
|---|---|
| Rory McIlroy | +700 |
| Cameron Young | +2000 |
| Russell Henley | +2800 |
| JT Poston | +3000 |
| Joohyung Kim | +3000 |
| Matt Fitzpatrick | +3000 |
| Min Woo Lee | +3000 |
| Eric Cole | +3300 |
| Sungjae Im | +330 |
| Shane Lowry | +3500 |
| All Other Players | +4000 or higher |
2024 Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches Top Contenders
At the beginning of the week, gamblers saw a relatively weak field. Most of the big-name players are taking the week off. Next week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational will have a much stronger lineup. But this week offers tremendous value opportunities for gamblers.
Marquee Man McIlroy is a Strong Public Betting Favorite
At the onset of the week, Rory McIlroy was the prohibitive sports betting favorite. The rationale is his high ranking and massive name appeal. McIlroy is 2nd on the Official World Golf Ranking but is coming off two poor outings. Last time out, McIlroy finished 24th at the Genesis Invitational. Before that, he was 66th at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. McIlroy did win the Hbero Dubai Classic before those latest two events.
Cameron Young’s Recent Woes Cost Him an OWGR Top 20 Slot
Last time out, Cameron Young finished 16th at the Genesis Invitational. That was after an 18th-place finish at the Phoenix Open. Young missed the cut at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. However, he was 3rd at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic. But that was after finishing 33rd at The Sentry. Inconsistency has been his constant this season. Young is 23rd on the Official World Golf Ranking.
Henley Struggles to Crack Top 10 Finishes
Overall, Russell Henley is 29th on the Official World Golf Ranking. Henley is coming off a 24th-place finish at the Genesis Invitational and was 58th at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Previously, he finished 4th at the Sony Open in Hawaii but missed the cut at the Sentry. He has one Top Ten Finish in his last six starts.
JT Poston Sends Mixed Messages to Gamblers
JT Postin is 39th on the Official World Golf Ranking. He is coming off a 10th-place finish at the Genesis Invitational. Since placing 6th at the Sony Open in Hawaii, it was his best finish. Poston has had some close calls for wins but has not been able to finish. Additionally, he is not a consistent contender.
2024 Cognizant Classic Free Pick
In this situation, Rory McIlroy is the class of the field. While his Golf Betting Lines price is high, his probability for a win is as well.
2024 Cognizant Classic SBG Best Bets: Rory McIlroy.