I try to break 100 from the back tees at PGA National’s Champ course
Could a 12-handicapper break 100 from where the pros tee off at the Cognizant Classic’s PGA National Champion Course? I took my best shot(s).
Austin Smotherman remains atop the leaderboard at the 2026 Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches at the start of Round 3. After an incredible 9-under first round, the 31-year-old put up a more modest 69 in Round 2 to maintain a solid cushion heading to moving day.
Taylor Moore rose to the No. 2 spot with a second straight 67, putting him three strokes behind Smotherman. Nico Echavarria was right behind the lead after the first round but fell back to a tie with A.J. Ewart in third four shots back. Joel Dahmen, Aaron Rai, Shane Lowry and Mark Hubbard are among those looking to rise before the final round.
Palm Beach County’s own Brooks Koepka survived the cut to play the weekend and looks to continue his blistering pace from Friday. Mother Nature is expected to play a part in today’s round with a chance of thunderstorms in the forecast throughout the day in Palm Beach Gardens. If rain makes the course unplayable or unsafe, play could be delayed or pushed to Sunday, affecting the final round.
Watch Cognizant Classic live on Peacock
Cognizant Classic leaderboard
Top leaders as of the start of play Saturday.
1. Austin Smotherman: -11 (9:40 a.m. tee time)2. Taylor Moore: -8 (9:40 a.m.)T3. A.J. Ewart: -7 (9:40 a.m.)T3. Nico Echavarria: -7 (9:28 a.m.)5. Joel Dahmen: -6 (9:28 a.m.)T6. Mark Hubbard: -5 (9:28 a.m.)T6. Kristoffer Reitan: -5 (9:16 a.m.)T6. Pontus Nyholm: -5 (9:16 a.m.)T6. Hank Lebioda: -5 (9:16 a.m.)T6. Aaron Rai: -5 (9:04 a.m.)T6. Shane Lowry: -5 (9:04 a.m.)T6. Jimmy Stanger: -5 (9:04 a.m.)
Keep up with all the scores on USA TODAY’s leaderboard.
Cognizant Classic schedule and how to watch
Round 3: Saturday, Feb. 28
First tee: 7:28 a.m. ETTV coverage: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. ETTV channel: Golf Channel | NBCStreaming: ESPN app (Select plan) | Peacock
Round 3 of the 2026 Cognizant Classic is scheduled to broadcast nationally on Golf Channel starting at 10 a.m. before switching to NBC at 3 p.m. Featured group and hole streaming from PGA Tour Live is available on the ESPN app (with a subscription to the Select plan) starting at 7:45 a.m.
Cognizant Classic tee times
All times Eastern.
7:28 a.m.: Zecheng Dou, Matthieu Pavon, Max McGreevy (1st tee)7:28 a.m.: Sudarshan Yellamaraju, Alex Smalley, Danny Walker (10th tee)7:40 a.m.: Mackenzie Hughes, Chan Kim, Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen (1)7:40 a.m.: Rasmus Højgaard, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Dan Brown (10)7:52 a.m.: Ryan Gerard, Brooks Koepka, Ben Silverman (1)7:52 a.m.: John Parry, Austin Eckroat, Beau Hossler (10)8:04 a.m.: Steven Fisk, Ricky Castillo, Eric Cole (1)8:04 a.m.: Lee Hodges, Matt Wallace, Keith Mitchell (10)8:16 a.m.: Max Homa, Thorbjørn Olesen, Kevin Streelman (1)8:16 a.m.: Davis Thompson, Jackson Suber, Adrien Saddier (10)8:28 a.m.: Matti Schmid, Takumi Kanaya, Kevin Roy (1)8:28 a.m.: Patrick Fishburn, Zach Bauchou, Dylan Wu (10)8:40 a.m.: Seamus Power, Chad Ramey, Carson Young (1)8:40 a.m.: Emiliano Grillo, Adam Schenk, Chandler Phillips (10)8:52 a.m.: William Mouw, Michael Brennan, Daniel Berger (1)8:52 a.m.: Tom Kim, Patton Kizzire, Haotong Li (10)9:04 a.m.: Aaron Rai, Shane Lowry, Jimmy Stanger (1)9:04 a.m.: David Ford, Billy Horschel, Garrick Higgo (10)9:16 a.m.: Kristoffer Reitan, Pontus Nyholm, Hank Lebioda (1)9:16 a.m.: Joe Highsmith, Nicolai Højgaard (10)9:28 a.m.: Nico Echavarria, Joel Dahmen, Mark Hubbard (1)9:28 a.m.: Adrien Dumont de Chassart, Jordan Smith (10)9:40 a.m.: Austin Smotherman, Taylor Moore, A.J. Ewart (1)Cognizant Classic weather: Day 3 Saturday
AccuWeather predicts a high of 84 degrees with showers and a thunderstorm in the forecast today in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Winds are expected to blow out of the south at 5-10 mph. There is a 99% chance of rain with a 40% chance of thunderstorms throughout the day.