Cognizant Classic 2025: Course and current form stats

• Tee-to-green accuracy especially vital at PGA National

• Berger [20/1] ready to re-enter winners' enclosure

• Nicolai [60/1] a decent each-way selection

Tournament and Course Notes

The venue for this week's tournament, The Champion Course at PGA National, is one of golf's most respected layouts. Co-designed by Tom Fazio, and his uncle George Fazio, The Champion Course opened for business in November 1981.

Two years later it hosted the Ryder Cup, and then the PGA Championship in 1987. In 2007, it became a PGA Tour regular as host of the Honda Classic.

Located approximately 80 miles north of downtown Miami, The Champion Course has undergone three Jack Nicklaus-led upgrades during the past 25 years, most recently in 2018.

Although trees and dense vegetation are in short supply, it remains a parkland course that demands accurate tee-to-green golf and solid ball-striking.

There are sizeable water hazards on 13 holes and since last year's event the fairways have been slightly narrowed. For 2025, fairway width will average 28 yards and although this is not overly tight, this low-lying layout is definitely no pushover.

After a handful of weeks putting on Poa Annua greens, the players will face the more tricky Bermuda grass surfaces. The greens here are bigger than the PGA Tour average. And, for the first time since 2014, the Bermuda grass fairways at the Champion Course have been over-seeded with Ryegrass.

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Good Current Form

Austrian Sepp Straka 20/121.00 is one of the few golfers this week who can combine a strong course history, with good current form.

He's both a winner over the Champion Course, as well as a winner on the PGA Tour this season (during January).

Another member of Europe's victorious Ryder Cup team from 2023 is Nicolai Hojgaard 45/146.00 who appears to have re-discovered his mojo, after posting a tie-for-eighth in Mexico at the weekend.

The young Dane is a strong each-way option, thanks to this latest result which was his best finish in a PGA Tour event for over 12 months.

Two other pros looking pretty good at present are American Denny McCarthy 30/131.00 and Daniel Berger 20/121.00.

McCarthy, who tied-fifth at Torrey Pines two weeks ago, has previously stood on the PGA National podium.

Meanwhile Berger, a former world No 12, looks to be in decent shape again, and was clearly disappointed to finish in a tie-for-second at TPC Scottsdale earlier this month.

The 31-year-old four-time winner on Tour has registered three top-four finishes at PGA National in eight appearances. His most recent win on the PGA Tour came four years ago at Pebble Beach.

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Good Course Form

In recent years, no one has performed more consistently well over PGA National's Champion Course than Shane Lowry 19/120.00.

The Irishman's last three visits to this part of Florida have all yielded top-five finishes.

He's also performed reasonably well during the past six months, and at the start of February finished second behind Rory McIlroy at Pebble Beach.

Another pro with a strong PGA National history is world No 100 Keith Mitchell 33/134.00, who is a former winner over the Champion Course, along with a brace of other top-10s.

His form during the early weeks of 2025 has shown moments of promise, without lasting the full 72 holes. Perhaps the return to one of his favourite venues can re-ignite the flame.

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The Champion at the Champion Course

None of PGA National's 18 champions were lower than 10th after 36 holes - and only two were outside the top six (see table below).

And only two winners were more than three strokes behind at half-way.

It doesn't appear to be an easy course on which to reduce large deficits when chasing birdies at weekend pin positions.

Year ... Pos @ 36 ... (Champ)
`24: 2nd (Austin Eckroat)
`23: 2nd (Chris Kirk)
`22: 6th (Sepp Straka)
`21: 2nd (Matt Jones)
`20: 9th (Sung Jae Im)
`19: 1st (Keith Mitchell)
`18: 7th (Justin Thomas)
`17: 3rd (Rickie Fowler)
`16: 4th (Adam Scott)
`15: 1st (Padraig Harrington)
`14: 3rd (Russell Henley)
`13: 2nd (Michael Thompson)
`12: 3rd (Rory McIlroy)
`11: 2nd (Rory Sabbatini)
`10: 1st (Camilo Villegas)
`09: 1st (Yong Eun Yang)
`08: 6th (Ernie Els)
`07: 5th (Mark Wilson)

Stroke Averages

Lowest Eight At PGA National (2019-24)
Average .... (Rounds)
68.75: Shane Lowry (20)
69.20: Chris Kirk (20)
69.25: Russell Henley (16)
69.39: Byeong Hun An (18)
69.40: Andrew Novak (10)
69.40: Sepp Straka (20)
69.50: Keith Mitchell (18)
69.57: Daniel Berger (14)
Min. No. of Rounds = 10
Only those entered this week are included in table

MC* - Missed Additional 54-Hole Cut

Note: List Contains Leading Reserves

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