To begin the Florida swing, we head to the Champion Course of PGA National (par 71, 7,223 yards, Bermuda greens) in Palm Beach Gardens for the Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches. Joe Highsmith (-19) won this event by two shots last year and for this week, there will be 121 players competing and a top-65 and ties cut after the first two rounds.
Below, I dive into three of my favorite DFS options on DraftKings for the Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches.
Set your DraftKings fantasy golf lineups here: PGA TOUR $300K Drive the Green [$100K to 1st]
Nicolai Hojgaard ($9,400)
Hojgaard finished T18th at PGA National last season and he should finish even higher at the par 71 this week. This time around, Hojgaard returns to PGA National 13 spots higher in the world golf rankings. The Dane has made seven consecutive cuts worldwide and six of these finishes have been top-15 results. Most recently, Hojgaard finished T3rd at the WM Phoenix Open in his last start and he gained strokes in every major category at TPC Scottsdale that week.
Looking to build off this impressive performance, Hojgaard is a threat for a top-five finish at PGA National. The 24-year-old has shot under par in seven of his last eight rounds and he ranks seventh on the PGA TOUR in SGT2G this season. At +2150 on DraftKings Sportsbook, Hojgaard carries the third best odds to win the Cognizant Classic.
Tom Kim ($7,400)
Kim finished just T62nd in his lone start at PGA National, but he should finish higher on the leaderboard this week. Kim has only missed one cut in his last 11 starts and he has finished inside the top-35 at back-to-back events. At both these tournaments, Kim gained strokes on approach, which is a terrific sign that his game is trending in the right direction.
Kim is a three-time winner on the PGA TOUR and if he can find some rhythm with his flat stick this week, he has the potential for a top-20 finish.
David Lipsky ($6,800)
Lipsky is on the heels of a T18 at the Farmers Insurance Open, which is his seventh top-35 finish and 11th made cut in his last 14 starts. Lipsky has gained strokes on approach and with his putter at back-to-back events, and he ranks top-20 in both SG APP and SGP when we compare this field’s last 24 rounds.
Lipsky will now bring this compelling form to PGA National, where he has made 2-of-3 cuts. His best finish here is a T41 and Lipsky absolutely has a chance to outdo that showing this week.
