The Cognizant Classic is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour in south Florida. It was founded in 1972 as "Jackie Gleason's Inverrary Classic". Prior to a schedule change in 2021, this was frequently the first of the Florida events in late winter following the "West Coast Swing."

National Airlines was the sponsor in 1973 with Jackie Gleason. American Motors Corporation backed the event in 1981 as the "American Motors Inverrary Classic". From 1982 until 2023, American Honda Motor Company was the title sponsor, and the tournament was known as The Honda Classic. In late 2023, Cognizant became the new title sponsor; as a result, the name of the event was changed.

Tournament history The tournament's predecessor, the National Airlines Open Invitational, ran for three seasons from 1969 through 1971, all in late March at the Country Club of Miami in Hialeah. The Gleason tournament replaced it on the schedule a month earlier in 1972 at the Inverrary Country Club (East course) in Lauderhill and was among the richest events on tour with an inaugural purse of $260,000 and a $52,000 winner's share.

Gleason hosted a popular TV variety show with many friends in the entertainment industry and was well known on the PGA Tour at the Doral stop. He was eager to put his name on the new tournament. The 1976 tournament was billed as the Tournament Players Championship held in late February (as the early editions of the tournament were held as established tournaments with an increased purse and qualifications), won by Jack Nicklaus. Gleason's nine-year affiliation ended after 1980 when PGA Tour officials removed him from Tournament Players Championship promotions and focused on commercialization to provide more revenue.

The 1981 event was renamed "American Motors Inverrary Classic" as American Motors Corporation sponsored it. The following two years, it was known as the "Honda Inverrary Classic" after a switch in sponsor to American Honda Motor Company.

During this time, the tournament was staged at different Broward County courses giving the Honda Classic "a reputation as a rootless tournament that struggled to attract the top golfers" and it faced decreasing attendance. In 1984, the tournament moved to TPC Eagle Trace in Coral Springs, where it remained until 1991.

From 1992 through 1995, the event was held at the Weston Hills Golf & Country Club in Weston. It then returned to Coral Springs, first at the TPC at Eagle Trace in 1996, and then at the TPC at Heron Bay from 1997 until 2002. In 2003, the event moved to Palm Beach Gardens, first at the Country Club at Mirasol through 2006, then to the Champion Course at PGA National Resort and Spa in 2007.

Since 2007, the tournament's primary beneficiary is the Nicklaus Children's Health Care Foundation, chaired by Barbara Nicklaus, wife of hall of fame golfer Jack Nicklaus.

IMG bought the tournament's management company in 2013. The event grew in attendance and charitable contributions under IMG, but the player field suffered primarily because of the schedule that was set by the PGA Tour. By late 2023, Honda ended sponsorship and there was concern about the demise of the biggest sporting event held in Palm Beach County. However, control of the event was moved to PGA Tour's Championship Management Division, a six-year sponsorship was signed with Cognizant, and the event was renamed.

Player participation Some celebrated players have won this tournament, including Nicklaus in three consecutive years, from 1976 (TPC) to 1978, the only consecutive winner in its history. However, the Honda Classic had acquired a reputation for struggling to attract the top players as it moved from course to course in South Florida. Since 2007, tournament has seen an improved player field, largely due to the decision to make PGA National the tournament's permanent home.

The prize money is comparable to other regular PGA Tour events. The total purse was in 2017, with a top prize of $1.152 million (this can be contrasted to the total purse in 1981 of $300,000 (the equivalent of only $ in dollars). The original winner's share of $52,000 in 1972 made it one of the richest stops on tour, greater than for any of the four majors; it was more than double that of the Masters, which had a first prize of $25,000

Tournament highlights 1972: Tom Weiskopf outdueled Jack Nicklaus by one shot to win the first edition. 1974: Leonard Thompson earned the first of his three PGA Tour wins, one shot ahead of Hale Irwin. After his victory, Thompson donated $10,000 of his winnings to the Boys Clubs of America. 1978: Jack Nicklaus birdied the last five holes to defeat Grier Jones by one shot, for his third consecutive win at Inverrary. 1986: Monday qualifier Kenny Knox won by a stroke over Clarence Rose, Jodie Mudd, Andy Bean, and John Mahaffey in spite of shooting a third round 80. 1990: John Huston wore three different pairs of shoes in practice and during the tournament after the PGA declared his wedge-soled Weight-Rites illegal. 1991: Steve Pate won by three strokes despite returning the worst final-round score by a PGA Tour tournament winner in ten years, a 75. 1992: Corey Pavin defeated Fred Couples in a sudden-death playoff after holing an 8-iron from 136-yards on the final hole to tie for the lead. 1996: Tim Herron became the first PGA Tour rookie in 13 years to win a tournament wire-to-wire. 2004: Thirty-eight-year-old PGA Tour rookie Todd Hamilton won by one shot over Davis Love III. Hamilton would go on to win The Open Championship later that year. 2012: With his win, Rory McIlroy rose to the top of the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time. Brian Harman shot a course record 61 in the second round. 2022: Sepp Straka becomes the first Austrian to win on the PGA Tour. 2025: Jake Knapp scored a 59 during the first round. He finished in a tie for sixth, 4 strokes behind winner Joe Highsmith, who became the first golfer in nine years to win a PGA Tour event after making the cut on the number.

Tournament hosts YearsNo.VenueCityState2007–present 19 PGA National Resort and Spa (Champion Course) Palm Beach Gardens   Florida   2003–2006 4 Country Club at Mirasol1997–2002 6 TPC at Heron Bay Coral Springs1996 1 TPC Eagle Trace 1992–1995 4 Weston Hills Golf and C.C. Weston1984–1991 8 TPC Eagle Trace Coral Springs1972–1983 11 Inverrary Country Club (East Course) Lauderhill No event in 1976, Inverrary hosted the Tournament Players Championship.

Winners YearWinnerScoreTo parMargin ofvictoryRunner(s)-upPurse(US$)Winner'sshare ($)Cognizant Classic 2026 Nico Echavarría 267 −17 2 strokes Shane Lowry Taylor Moore Austin Smotherman 9,600,000 1,728,000 2025 Joe Highsmith 265 −19 2 strokes Jacob Bridgeman J. J. Spaun 9,200,000 1,656,000 2024 Austin Eckroat 267 −17 3 strokes Min Woo Lee Erik van Rooyen 9,000,000 1,620,000The Honda Classic 2023 Chris Kirk 266 −14 Playoff Eric Cole 8,400,000 1,512,000 2022 Sepp Straka 270 −10 1 stroke Shane Lowry 8,000,0001,440,000 2021 Matt Jones 268 −12 5 strokes Brandon Hagy 7,000,0001,260,000 2020 Im Sung-jae 274 −6 1 stroke Mackenzie Hughes 7,000,0001,260,000 2019 Keith Mitchell 271 −9 1 stroke Rickie Fowler Brooks Koepka 6,800,0001,224,000 2018 Justin Thomas 272 −8 Playoff Luke List 6,600,0001,188,000 2017 Rickie Fowler 268 −12 4 strokes Morgan Hoffmann Gary Woodland 6,400,0001,152,000 2016 Adam Scott 271 −9 1 stroke Sergio García 6,100,0001,098,000 2015 Pádraig Harrington (2) 274 −6 Playoff Daniel Berger 6,100,0001,098,000 2014 Russell Henley 272 −8 Playoff Russell Knox Rory McIlroy Ryan Palmer 6,000,0001,080,000 2013 Michael Thompson 271 −9 2 strokes Geoff Ogilvy 6,000,0001,080,000 2012 Rory McIlroy 268 −12 2 strokes Tom Gillis Tiger Woods 5,700,0001,026,000 2011 Rory Sabbatini 271 −9 1 stroke Yang Yong-eun 5,700,0001,026,000 2010 Camilo Villegas 267 −13 5 strokes Anthony Kim 5,600,0001,008,000 2009 Yang Yong-eun 271 −9 1 stroke John Rollins 5,600,0001,008,000 2008 Ernie Els 274 −6 1 stroke Luke Donald 5,500,000990,000 2007 Mark Wilson 275 −5 Playoff José Cóceres Camilo Villegas Boo Weekley 5,500,000990,000 2006 Luke Donald 276 −12 2 strokes Geoff Ogilvy 5,500,000990,000 2005 Pádraig Harrington 274 −14 Playoff Joe Ogilvie Vijay Singh 5,500,000990,000 2004 Todd Hamilton 276 −12 1 stroke Davis Love III 5,000,000900,000 2003 Justin Leonard 264 −24 1 stroke Chad Campbell Davis Love III 5,000,000900,000 2002 Matt Kuchar 269 −19 2 strokes Brad Faxon Joey Sindelar 3,500,000630,000 Honda Classic 2001 Jesper Parnevik 270 −18 1 stroke Mark Calcavecchia Geoff Ogilvy Craig Perks 3,200,000576,000 2000 Dudley Hart 269 −19 1 stroke J. P. Hayes Kevin Wentworth 2,900,000522,000 1999 Vijay Singh 277 −11 2 strokes Payne Stewart 2,600,000468,000 1998 Mark Calcavecchia (2) 270 −18 3 strokes Vijay Singh 1,800,000324,000 1997 Stuart Appleby 274 −14 1 stroke Michael Bradley Payne Stewart 1,500,000270,000 1996 Tim Herron 271 −17 4 strokes Mark McCumber 1,300,000234,000 1995 Mark O'Meara 275 −9 1 stroke Nick Faldo 1,200,000216,000 1994 Nick Price 276 −8 1 stroke Craig Parry 1,100,000198,000 1993 Fred Couples 207 −9 Playoff Robert Gamez 1,100,000198,000 1992 Corey Pavin 273 −15 Playoff Fred Couples 1,100,000198,000 1991 Steve Pate 279 −9 3 strokes Paul Azinger Dan Halldorson 1,000,000180,000 1990 John Huston 282 −6 2 strokes Mark Calcavecchia 1,000,000180,000 1989 Blaine McCallister 266 −22 4 strokes Payne Stewart 800,000144,000 1988 Joey Sindelar 276 −12 2 strokes Ed Fiori Sandy Lyle Payne Stewart 700,000126,000 1987 Mark Calcavecchia 279 −9 3 strokes Bernhard Langer Payne Stewart 600,000108,000 1986 Kenny Knox 287 −1 1 stroke Andy Bean John Mahaffey Jodie Mudd Clarence Rose 500,00090,000 1985 Curtis Strange 275 −13 Playoff Peter Jacobsen 500,00090,000 1984 Bruce Lietzke 280 −8 Playoff Andy Bean 500,00090,000 Honda Inverrary Classic 1983 Johnny Miller (2) 278 −10 2 strokes Jack Nicklaus 400,00072,000 1982 Hale Irwin 269 −19 1 stroke George Burns Tom Kite 400,00072,000 American Motors Inverrary Classic 1981 Tom Kite 274 −14 1 stroke Jack Nicklaus 300,00054,000 Jackie Gleason-Inverrary Classic 1980 Johnny Miller 274 −14 2 strokes Charles Coody Bruce Lietzke 300,00054,000 1979 Larry Nelson 274 −14 3 strokes Grier Jones 300,00054,000 1978 Jack Nicklaus (2) 276 −12 1 stroke Grier Jones 250,00050,000 1977 Jack Nicklaus 275 −13 5 strokes Gary Player 250,00050,000 1976 See 1976 Tournament Players Championship 1975 Bob Murphy 273 −15 1 stroke Eddie Pearce 260,00052,000 1974 Leonard Thompson 278 −10 1 stroke Hale Irwin 260,00052,000 Jackie Gleason Inverrary-National Airlines Classic 1973 Lee Trevino 279 −9 1 stroke Forrest Fezler 260,00052,000 Jackie Gleason's Inverrary Classic 1972 Tom Weiskopf 278 −10 1 stroke Jack Nicklaus 260,00052,000 Note: Green highlight indicates scoring records. Sources:The Honda Classic – Winners – at golfobserver.comThe Honda Classic – Winners – at PGATour.com

Notes

References

External links

Coverage on the PGA Tour's official site PGA National Resort & Spa – Champion course