It is finally here. The East Coast swing of the PGA Tour. It starts with the 10th event this year, the Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches from February 27 to March 2. The event formerly known as the Honda Classic has been a part of the PGA Tour since 1972. It remains one of the very few events on the Tour that Tiger Woods never won.
The 2024 edition saw Austin Eckroat claim his first-ever PGA Tour victory by a 3-stroke over Australian golfer Min-Woo Lee and South African Erik van Rooyen. Eckroat is back on the field to defend his title, looking to be the first person to do so since Jack Nicklaus did the same in 1978. While he will be up against a tough set of players, the weather could also turn out to be a stern opposition in his quest. Let’s check the weather forecast for the upcoming PGA Tour event.
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The weather at Cognizant Classic
According to AccuWeather, all 4 days are expected to have a drizzle with the rate of precipitation varying day by day. Day 1 promises to start sunny, with temperatures hitting nearly 27 C. There are also strong wind gusts to be expected at a range of more than 26 km/h. Could this be something similar to the Farmers Insurance Open? That likelihood is there. Rain is also expected in spots with a probability of precipitation standing at 44%. Expect the atmosphere to be heavy as well, with humidity at 73%.
The afternoons will see a slight temperature rise, but a rain shower is still a possibility. Wind gusts will top at 24 km/h, and humidity will dip a bit, going down to 62%. Evenings are expected to be cooler (21°C) and less windy, but humidity will likely rise to 82%. The entire day will have decent shade, as clear skies are not expected. Cloud cover throughout will be between 30% and 40%.
Friday is expected to be much cooler, and there is also less likelihood of rain as well during mornings and afternoons. The mornings will be cooler but windy, with gusts reaching 33 km/h. The afternoon, although hotter (23°C), will have more cloud cover compared to the morning (67%). The winds will keep wearing out the players constantly. Rain is still a less likely possibility. The evening promises high humidity, nearly 92%. The heavy atmosphere will be a challenge for several players.
The weekends seem like completely different two days compared to Thursday and Friday. Saturday mornings are cool but windy (28 km/h). Expect high humidity with a very small chance of rain (10%). There is good cloud cover (73%), but that is just a precursor for the afternoon when it is likely to rain with a probability of 60%. The afternoon promises to be easy on the skin, with lots of cloud cover and dipping wind speed. Visibility also reduces to 7 km. Rain is likely to carry on to the evening with a probability of thunderstorms being 12% for the day.
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Sunday also is expected to be a wet affair with a 41% probability of rain with an 8% probability of thunderstorms. The cloud cover is going to be a high 53% while wind gusts are expected to stay at nearly 26 km/h. While Mother Nature will not likely be a tough challenge for the field at the PGA National Members Club, it could be expected to throw an odd curveball though. Now we know what weather would look like, but who will be competing for $9.2 million?
The Field at the Cognizant Classic in Palm Beach
Jordan Spieth was the last big name to announce his participation at the Florida event, but Eckorat will have his task cut out with other golfers as well. Shane Lowry, currently the bookies’ favorite to win it all, will be looking at this event as an opportunity to win his 4th ever PGA Tour title. He had finished runner-up to Sepp Straka in the 2022 edition.
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Seven former winners are also part of the field. Chris Kirk, Keith Mitchell, Russel Henley, Rickie Fowler, and Sung-Jae Im have all won this event previously. The top two from the recently concluded Mexico Open, Brian Campbell and Aldrich Potgieter, are also set to tee off in Florida.
Who do you think will win this event? Do you think Eckroat has a chance to defend the title?