Cognizant Classic 2024: Tee Times, Field & How to Watch Koepka’s Return

Cognizant Classic 2024: Tee Times, Field & How to Watch Koepka’s Return

February 24, 2026 David Thompson - Sports Editor Sports

WEST PALM BEACH, FL – The Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches officially kicks off the Florida swing of the PGA Tour, a stretch of events many golf fans view as the unofficial prelude to the Masters Tournament. The tournament, held at PGA National Resort’s Champion Course, boasts a 123-player field, including 13 golfers currently projected to qualify for a trip to Augusta.

While several top-ranked players are opting to sit out this event, sandwiched as it is between Signature Events, the competition still features notable names. Ryan Gerard, currently ranked 26th in the Official World Golf Rankings and 7th in the FedExCup standings, enters as one of the favorites. He’ll be challenged by defending champion Joe Highsmith, who won last year’s tournament by two strokes over J.J. Spaun and Jacob Bridgeman, and by the returning Brooks Koepka, making his third PGA Tour appearance since transitioning back from LIV Golf earlier this year.

Koepka, a five-time major champion, has a history at PGA National, having finished tied for second there in 2019. His return to the PGA Tour has been closely watched, and he’ll be looking to capitalize on a relatively less competitive field to secure an early win. The tournament also marks a significant opportunity for players to earn their way into the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard through the Aon Next 10 and Aon Swing 5.

Thursday’s first round will see players tee off from both the first and tenth holes, with pairings and tee times set as follows:

The first group off the first tee at 6:45 AM EST will consist of Taylor Moore, Harry Higgs, and Hank Lebioda. Simultaneously, on the tenth tee, Austin Eckroat, Danny Willett, and Beau Hossler will begin their rounds. Shortly after, at 6:57 AM EST, Matthieu Pavon, Adam Hadwin, and Doug Ghim will start from the first tee, while Camilo Villegas, Joel Dahmen, and Sam Ryder will tee off from the tenth.

Further pairings include Lee Hodges, Matt Wallace, and Mac Meissner (7:09 AM EST, first tee); Adam Svensson, Rico Hoey, and Max McGreevy (7:09 AM EST, tenth tee); Brendon Todd, Kevin Streelman, and Vince Whaley (7:21 AM EST, first tee); Aaron Rai, Shane Lowry, and Billy Horschel (7:21 AM EST, tenth tee); Steven Fisk, Nico Echavarria, and Kevin Yu (7:33 AM EST, first tee); Garrick Higgo, Karl Vilips, and Davis Riley (7:33 AM EST, tenth tee); Davis Thompson, Stephan Jaeger, and Webb Simpson (7:45 AM EST, first tee); and Joe Highsmith, Chris Kirk, and Keith Mitchell (7:45 AM EST, tenth tee).

The later morning groups feature Nick Dunlap, K.H. Lee, and Chad Ramey (7:57 AM EST, first tee); Rafael Campos, Nicolai Højgaard, and S.H. Kim (7:57 AM EST, tenth tee); Adrien Saddier, Paul Waring, and Christo Lamprecht (8:09 AM EST, first tee); Jackson Suber, Johnny Keefer, and Blades Brown (8:09 AM EST, tenth tee); Jimmy Stanger, Neal Shipley, and Jeffrey Kang (8:21 AM EST, first tee); Ricky Castillo, Adrien Dumont de Chassart, and Keita Nakajima (8:21 AM EST, tenth tee); Austin Smotherman, Jordan Smith, and Chandler Blanchet (8:33 AM EST, first tee); and Patrick Fishburn, Zach Bauchou, and Sudarshan Yellamaraju (8:33 AM EST, tenth tee).

The afternoon wave begins with Mark Hubbard, Eric Cole, and Alex Smalley (11:35 AM EST, first tee); Erik van Rooyen, Justin Lower, and Carson Young (11:35 AM EST, tenth tee); Gary Woodland, Brandt Snedeker, and David Lipsky (11:47 AM EST, first tee); Peter Malnati, Brice Garnett, and Lanto Griffin (11:47 AM EST, tenth tee); Emiliano Grillo, Kevin Roy, and Danny Walker (11:59 AM EST, first tee); Matti Schmid, Dylan Wu, and Takumi Kanaya (11:59 AM EST, tenth tee); Michael Brennan, Ryan Gerard, and Max Homa (12:11 PM EST, first tee); Adam Schenk, William Mouw, and Aaron Wise (12:11 PM EST, tenth tee); and the highly anticipated group of Brooks Koepka, Will Zalatoris, and Daniel Berger (12:23 PM EST, first tee).

Rounding out the afternoon pairings are Sami Valimaki, Cam Davis, and Matt Kuchar (12:23 PM EST, tenth tee); Tom Kim, Michael Thorbjornsen, and Rasmus Højgaard (12:35 PM EST, first tee); Mackenzie Hughes, Thorbjørn Olesen, and Chandler Phillips (12:35 PM EST, tenth tee); Patton Kizzire, Andrew Putnam, and Kristoffer Reitan (12:47 PM EST, first tee); Seamus Power, Charley Hoffman, and Christiaan Bezuidenhout (12:47 PM EST, tenth tee); Haotong Li, Marcelo Rozo, and Davis Chatfield (12:59 PM EST, first tee); Kris Ventura, Dan Brown, and Pontus Nyholm (12:59 PM EST, tenth tee); Jesper Svensson, Kensei Hirata, and Luke Clanton (1:11 PM EST, first tee); Alejandro Tosti, Frankie Capan III, and John VanDerLaan (1:11 PM EST, tenth tee); Isaiah Salinda, Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, and A.J. Ewart (1:23 PM EST, first tee); Chan Kim, John Parry, and Gordon Sargent (1:23 PM EST, tenth tee); Zecheng Dou, David Ford, and Justin Hicks (1:35 PM EST, tenth tee).

Golf Channel will provide coverage of the first round from 2-6 PM EST, preceded by Golf Central Pregame from 1-2 PM EST and followed by Golf Central Postgame from 6-7 PM EST. The Cognizant Classic promises an intriguing start to the Florida swing, with a mix of seasoned veterans and rising stars vying for position as the road to the Masters begins to take shape.