The Cheat Sheet provides DraftKings players with course info, player history, and the most noteworthy trends of the week to help them with their roster selections.
Set your DraftKings fantasy golf lineups here: PGA TOUR $300K Drive the Green [$100K to 1st]
The Field
“Be cognizant” is a statement we’re likely to hear at some point this week, particularly as the players walk to the 15th tee box to hit their first shot in the famous bear trap. The Cognizant Classic (formerly and forever the Honda Classic) is back, and for viewers, that means lots of water balls and (potentially) lots of final hole drama.
This event changed names in 2024, but the venue (PGA National) remains the same, and the tougher par 71 (formerly a par 70) has helped keep this tournament towards the top of the favorites for many fans, even despite the field often lacking star power.
The field this week doesn’t have a ton of big names and with Adam Scott, Ben Griffin and Jacob Bridgeman withdrawing on Monday, that leaves Shane Lowry and new PGA TOUR member Brooks Koepka as the headliners. The current field is set at 144 players, and the event will feature the PGA TOUR’s regular cut-line rule with the top 65 players and ties making the weekend after Friday.
This has typically been a tough event and venue for scoring, with lots of water in play and unpredictable winds. Even with the course now set at a par 71, don’t necessarily expect big daily fantasy golf totals since birdies will be at an absolute premium.
The Course
PGA National—Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
Par 71, 7,147 yards; Greens: Bermudagrass
PGA National was redesigned in 1990 by Jack Nicklaus and has been the host of this event since 2007. The course always plays as one of the toughest on the PGA TOUR. It was ranked the fifth-hardest venue on the PGA TOUR in 2019 and the third-hardest in 2021. To give you some idea of what’s in store this week: since 2012, the winning score at PGA National has failed to pass 10-under-par on all but two occasions. Calmer conditions allowed the winner to reach 14-under last year, but the wind and weather can be a big factor with the stadium course environment and the late winter date.
As for setup, PGA National now plays as a par 71 but will still play at just under 7,200 yards in length. For 2024, the 10th hole (previously a longer par 4) was lengthened by 20 yards or so and turned into a par 5. It will now play as one of the easiest holes on the course and will likely allow us to see another mid-teens winner in terms of scoring. In the last two seasons, the winner has gotten to 17-under par or better, with Joe Highsmith winning the 2025 version of this event at -19. I would expect that, without terrible weather, the winner here will be between 14 and 20 under par most seasons.
The greens are still Tifeagle Bermuda and can play quite fast if the weather gets hot enough. They will be even tougher to hold if the wind is up. Green in Regulation %’s at this event are some of the lowest we’ll see all season and typically fall 5-7% under the PGA TOUR average. As such, PGA National, as you might expect, puts a huge premium on ball-striking. It rewards players who can pound the greens hole after hole, and also those who possess the short game necessary to navigate the plethora of greenside bunkers.
While the venue often gets compared to places like TPC Sawgrass and Harbour Town, its best-comparable course on the PGA TOUR is likely TPC Southwind, the host of the FedEx St. Jude Classic and one of the toughest par-70s on the schedule. Daniel Berger (winner of Southwind 2016 and 2017, playoff loser PGA National 2015) and Sepp Straka (winner of PGA National 2022 and playoff loser TPC Southwind 2022) are a couple of the players who provide good links between the two venues.
For statistical purposes, solid overall ball striking is key to avoiding big numbers, but it’s generally on approach where players can make up the most ground. Four of the last six winners at PGA National — Keith Mitchell, Sungjae Im, Chris Kirk, and Matt Jones — gained over +5.0 strokes on their approaches for the week, and most of the winners here have also tended to be very positive in their stats around the green for the week.
2025 winner Joe Highsmith did do a lot of work with his putter last season (+5.9 strokes putting), but he also gained over 2.0 strokes OTT and on Approach. This sort of ball-striking is a must with water and double bogeys looming on every hole.
Overall, it’s a week to emphasize recent form (mainly ball-striking and around-the-green play) and use course history as a solid tiebreaker when deciding between players. Players can have success at PGA National out of the gate, but it’s also been a venue that rewards those who understand the patience needed to survive such a demanding venue.
2026 Weather Outlook: This event can see high winds, given that we are in Florida near the Gulf and on a very open course. It could be an interesting week weather-wise as well in 2026, as the first day has winds gusting up to 12+mph in the afternoon. Early starters on Thursday certainly look like they’ll have the better conditions and should likely be emphasized in classic and first-round formats for fantasy. Friday also has some thunderstorms in the forecast, although they may not appear until the evening. Saturday’s round also has higher winds and the potential for stoppages with thunderstorms looming. Overall, it could be a slightly chaotic event, and there is a chance for someone who starts fast to front-run.
Last 5 Winners
2025: Joe Highsmith -19 (over Jacob Bridgeman -17 and JJ Spaun -17)
2024: Austin Eckroat -17 (over Min Woo Lee and Erik van Rooyen -14)
2023: Chris Kirk -14 (over Eric Cole playoff)
2022: Sepp Straka -10 (over Shane Lowry -9)
2021: Matt Jones -12 (over Brandon Hagy -7)
Winning Trends
- Nine of the past 15 winners had a finish of 13th or better at this event before their win.
- 12 of the last 15 winners here had made the cut at PGA National at least once before their win.
- Five of the last seven winners of The Honda Classic had a top-10 West Coast finish on the season before winning this event (nine of the last nine Honda Classic winners had produced a T18 or better on the West Coast swing or an event prior to PGA National)
Winners Stats and Course Detail
2025 Winner: Joe Highsmith (19-under par)
2025 lead-in form (T17-MC-MC-T66-MC)
SG: OTT—+2.8
SG: APP—+2.9
SG: Total—+12.5
SG: ATG—+0.9
SG: PUTT—+5.9
That said, outside of Eckroat, eight of the last nine winners at PGA National gained strokes around the green for the week, and three of the last seven — Mitchell, Im, and Jones — gained +3.5 strokes ATG, or more, for the week.
Strokes Gained: Approach and approach proximity are both stats to emphasize at PGA National, and most of the winners and top finishers gain the majority of their strokes against the field in this area.
2020 and 2021 winners Sungjae Im and Matt Jones both gained over +5.0 strokes on approach, while 2022 winner Chris Kirk relied even more on his approaches, gaining 6.3 on approach alone in his win.
Straka (2022) and Highsmith (2025) were sort of anomalies in that both gained more strokes putting and off the tee than they did on approach or around the green.
Eckroat actually lost strokes around the green but gained 5.8 strokes on approach and over 3.0 strokes putting.
Finding Values on DraftKings Sportsbook
Odds to win are one factor to think about when picking players (but not the only thing, so be careful putting too much weight on them). This section is going to detail a few of the players who have the best fantasy value compared to their DraftKings Sportsbook odds of winning this week.
Brooks Koepka +2800 and $9,000
Comparables:
- Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen +3600 and $9,100
- Keith Mitchell +2800 and $9,300
Alex Smalley +3700 and $8,300
Comparables:
- Will Zalatoris +3800 and $8,400
- Thorbjorn Olesen +4000 and $8,500
- Christiaan Bezuidenhout +4600 and $8,700
All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook are subject to change.
HORSES FOR COURSES
(These players have had a lot of success at this event over their careers.)
1. Shane Lowry ($9,900; best finish: 2nd – 2022, T5 – 2023): Lowry is a player who often finds his footing in Florida. The Irishman is 5/5 in terms of made cuts at this event the last five seasons and has posted top-five finishes at PGA National the last three years.
2. Daniel Berger ($8,900; best finish: 2nd – 2015, T4 – 2020, 2022): Berger lost in a playoff at this venue back in 2015 and has finished top five on two other occasions. He’s very familiar with this venue and a name to be high on despite poor recent form.
3. Chris Kirk ($7,900; best finish: win – 2023): Kirk won this event back in 2023 and has performed well at several similar courses as well. He’s started 2026 slow as well but should come alive at PGA National.
4. Keith Mitchell ($9,300; best finish: win – 2019, T9 – 2024): Mitchell is another former winner who always seems to thrive when he comes to Florida. He’s expensive but his ball-striking tends to keep him out of trouble at this venue.
5. Eric Cole ($7,300; best finish: 2nd – 2023): Cole lost in a playoff at this event back in 2023 and generally likes these shorter technical courses. He’s played well in spots to begin the year and could challenge again in this weaker field.
Recent Form
1. Michael Thorbjornsen ($9,200, T73-T3-T18): Thorbjornsen has had a good start to the year, posting a top 20 at the Farmers and a T3 in Phoenix, where he held the lead late on Sunday.
2. Nicolai Hojgaard ($9,400, T3 – T22): Hojgaard was also in the mix in Phoenix and leads the PGA TOUR in SG: OTT stats at the moment. He’s trending well and is a name to watch this week and going forward.
3. Alex Smalley ($8,300, T19 – T35): Smalley hasn’t lit the world on fire, but he’s posted some low rounds of late and has made four of five cuts. His top 20 in his last start saw him shoot four rounds of 69 or better at Pebble.
DRAFTKINGS DFS STRATEGY
Big Field Punt plays:
Adam Hadwin ($6,700): Posted a runner-up on the Korn Ferry Tour two weeks ago and should be game to get a PGA start this week. He sets up well and likes these stadium style courses.
Davis Riley ($6,600): Not for the faint of heart but Riley is putting better than almost anyone else on the PGA and has a great short game to navigate treacherous bunkering. He is a complete boom or bust play.
Cameron Davis ($6,200): He had three solid rounds in Phoenix before a final round 80. Talent-wise, he’s very capable of overcoming past form difficulties to pounce on a weaker field.
Core Plays:
Hao Ton Li ($8,100): He has played great to start the year and is still extremely cheap. It will be his first time playing this venue but his experience playing worldwide should help fill the gap.
Andrew Putnam ($6,800) – see below
Daniel Berger ($8,900): He has had a couple of poor starts in a row but with the PGA TOUR now in Florida, he should come alive soon. Course history matters this week and with Berger under 9K, there is no reason not to pounce here.
Contrarian Click: Tom Kim ($7,400): He had a solid third round 67 at Riviera last week and has won at similar courses before. Talent-wise, he’s as good as anyone in this field now and if he gets it going early, his confidence should return quickly.
MY PICK: Nicolai Hojgaard ($9,400)
Hojgaard is a player I expect to win on the PGA soon. He’s an elite ball-striker, ranked first in 2026 in strokes gained off the tee and top 20 in SG: Approach. Such consistency benefits him on tough, point-to-point courses like PGA National, where missing the target can cost 2+ strokes instead of just one.
Last season, the Dane performed well here, finishing T18 after missing the cut the previous year. This year, he arrives confident, having finished third in Phoenix in his last start. Currently just outside the top 50 in the OWGR and without a Masters invite, Nicolai aims to join his brother at Augusta in April. A victory this week would help make that happen.
Beyond narratives, his recent form and the weaker field this week make him a strong option for GPP contests on DraftKings. Though he can be inconsistent, if he shows up like he did in Phoenix, he could reach the -19 under par winning score from last season and justify his sub-$10,000 salary. For betting, odds above +2000 on DraftKings Sportsbook offer good value and an effective way to leverage his upside.
MY SLEEPER: Andrew Putnam ($6,800)
Putnam fits a lot of the trends we want to see from a solid sleeper this week. He was T11 at this event last season, and putted well on the TifEagle Bermuda grass. However, his result was likely not a fluke, as he has tended to perform well on these shorter, more technical courses throughout his career. He recently landed a runner-up at TPC Stadium for the American Express and has also posted runner-up finishes at TPC Southwind and Waialae Country Club, two venues with smaller greens where wind and/or water come into play prominently.
While he can be an inconsistent ball-striker, Putnam’s irons were in good form in Palm Springs, and he’s a great putter scrambler who ranked top 20 in sand saves last season (and again this year). Overall, he’s the sort of veteran player I expect to do well here, and his recent form, which includes a round of 60 at the American Express, suggests he’s ready, potentially in line for a very solid year.
For DFS, I love him as a value to add to your lineup cores in larger field GPPs, and for betting, looking at him as a top 10 (+900)/ top 20 (+380) ladder target makes plenty of sense as well.
