As many as 19 of the top 50 players in the Official Golf World Rankings will tee it up at the former home of the PGA of America for this week’s Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches.

2023 Defending Champion – Chris Kirk
The 144-player field includes 63 PGA TOUR winners combining for 204 TOUR titles led by World No. 2 Rory McIlroy, World No. 9 Matt Fitzpatrick, six-time PGA TOUR winner Rickie Fowler and defending champion, Chris Kirk.
This will be McIlroy’s first start here since 2018. Six years earlier, he fended off a Sunday charge by Tiger Woods to win his third TOUR title and rise to World No. 1 for the first time in his career.
One year ago, in the final Honda Classic, Kirk won on the first playoff hole over Eric Cole to earn his fifth PGA TOUR title and first since 2015.
Kirk and nine other previous winners of the Cognizant Classic will be in action, including last year’s John Deere Classic winner Sepp Straka (2022), Sungjae Im (2020), Keith Mitchell (2019), Rickie Fowler (2017), Padraig Harrington (2015, 2005), Russell Henley (2014), McIlroy (2012), Camilo Villegas (2010) and Matt Kuchar (2002).
It’s also a home game for South Florida residents Shane Lowry, Gary Woodland and Daniel Berger, 2023 PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year and last year’s runner up Cole, who will compete against fan favorites including Justin Rose, Min Woo Lee and Tom Kim, and FedEx Cup leader, Matthieu Pavon.

ryan_palmer
Ryan Palmer, who won the Walt Disney World Golf Classic as a rookie 20 years ago, the first of his four career victories, will make his 500th PGA TOUR start here in the Palm Beaches.
Photos Courtesy of The PGA Tour, Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches, and Walt Disney World Golf.