The Florida Swing begins this week on the PGA Tour with the Cognizant Classic at the difficult PGA National Champions Course in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
While the field lacks top-tier talents at the top of the odds list, there are still plenty of players offering long shot and sleeper value to target.
Here are my top golf picks for the Cognizant Classic ahead of Round 1 on Thursday, February 26.
Cognizant Classic sleeper & long shot picks
- Haotong Li (+4500 at BetMGM)
- Sam Ryder (+10000 at BetMGM)
- Luke Clanton (+12500 at BetMGM)
Picks were made on Tuesday, February 24 at 12:05 p.m. ET.
Cognizant Classic sleeper & long shot predictions
Sleeper pick to win: Haotong Li
+4500 at BetMGM
Haotong Li is a proven global competitor, boasting four Top-20 finishes in his last six events.
He’s also gained significant strokes across the board during this stretch, ranking seventh in the field in true strokes gained tee-to-green.
With two recent Top-5 finishes at The Open Championship, Li’s current form and winning pedigree aren’t fully reflected in his odds, making him a great pick.
Tee times:
- Round 1 - 1st tee at 12:59 p.m. ET
- Round 2 - 10th tee at 8:09 am. ET
Sleeper pick to win: Sam Ryder
+10000 at BetMGM
Sam Ryder brings two Top-10 finishes in this event and ranks third in the field in both true strokes gained on approaches and putting to start the 2026 PGA Tour season.
He also ranks fourth in Par-4 birdie-or-better percentage and fourth in true strokes gained at PGA National among players with at least 20 rounds.
Considering those metrics, Ryder stands out as a strong long shot.
Tee times:
- Round 1 - 10th tee at 6:57 a.m. ET
- Round 2 - 1st tee at 11:47 a.m. ET
Sleeper pick to win: Luke Clanton
+12500 at BetMGM
Luke Clanton gained strokes across the board to finish T18 in the 2025 Cognizant Classic and collected seven amateur wins while also competing in professional events over the past two years.
Additionally, the Florida native recorded two runner-up finishes on the PGA Tour in 2024, making Clanton's long odds appealing given his course familiarity, winner’s mindset, and proven ball-striking ability.
Tee times:
- Round 1 - 1st tee at 1:11 p.m. ET
- Round 2 - 10th tee at 8:21 a.m. ET
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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