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).
The 2026 Cognizant Classic opened with two players far and away above the rest on the leaderboard. With the final round upon us, that cushion is gone with four golfers within a stroke of the title.
Shane Lowry went bogey-free en route to an 8-under 63 in Round 3, vaulting him into a tie for the lead with Austin Smotherman, who was alone with the lead at the end of Rounds 1 and 2. Lowry, the 2019 British Open champion, is after his fourth PGA Tour win and first since 2024; Smotherman eyes his first ever.
Nico Echavarria and Taylor Moore enter the final round one stroke behind the leaders, while 30-year-old Tampa native Jimmy Stanger is a surprise entrant at fifth after hitting seven birdies in his third round. His best finish is third at the 2024 Puerto Rico Open. Ricky Castillo, Beau Hossler, Patton Kizzire and Keith Mitchell rode impressive moving days into contention for a possible final-round push.
Watch Cognizant Classic live on Peacock
Cognizant Classic leaderboard
Top leaders as of the start of play Sunday.
T1. Shane Lowry: -13 (1:45 p.m.)T1. Austin Smotherman: -13 (1:45 p.m.)T3. Nico Echavarria: -12 (1:35 p.m.)T3. Taylor Moore: -12 (1:35 p.m.)5. Jimmy Stanger: -11 (1:25 p.m.)T6. Ricky Castillo: -10 (1:25 p.m.)T6. A.J. Ewart: -10 (1:15 p.m.)8. Joel Dahmen: -9 (1:15 p.m.)T9. Beau Hossler: -8 (1:05 p.m.)T9. Keith Mitchell: -8 (1:05 p.m.)T9. Patton Kizzire: -8 (12:55 p.m.)
Keep up with all the scores on USA TODAY’s leaderboard.
Cognizant Classic schedule and how to watch
Round 4: Saturday, March 1
First tee: 8:05 a.m. ETTV coverage: 1-6 p.m. ETTV channel: Golf Channel | NBCStreaming: ESPN app (Select plan) | Peacock
Round 4 of the 2026 Cognizant Classic will broadcast nationally on Golf Channel starting at 1 p.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.
8:05 a.m.: Joe Highsmith8:10 a.m.: Tom Kim, Dylan Wu8:20 a.m.: Emiliano Grillo, Adam Schenck8:30 a.m.: Davis Thompson, Carson Young8:40 a.m.: Alex Smalley, Danny Walker8:50 a.m.: Billy Horschel, Max McGreevy9 a.m.: Haotong Li, David Ford9:10 a.m.: Jackson Suber, Seamus Power9:20 a.m.: Chan Kim, John Parry9:30 a.m.: Michael Brennan, Hank Lebioda9:45 a.m.: Patrick Fishburn, Chandler Phillips9:55 a.m.: Matt Wallace, Adrien Saddier10:05 a.m.: Dan Brown, Austin Eckroat10:15 a.m.: Jordan Smith, Christiaan Bezuidenhout10:25 a.m.: Garrick Higgo, Pontus Nyholm10:35 a.m.: Eric Cole, Daniel Berger10:45 a.m.: Brooks Koepka, Ben Silverman10:55 a.m.: Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, Ryan Gerard11:05 a.m.: Nicolai Højgaard, Mackenzie Hughes11:20 a.m.: Kevin Roy, Zach Bauchou11:30 a.m.: Max Homa, Kevin Streelman11:40 a.m.: Steven Fisk, Lee Hodges11:50 a.m.: Matthieu Pavon, Sudarshan YellamajaruNoon: Chad Ramey, Adrien Dumont de Chassart12:10 p.m.: Rasmus Højgaard, Thorbjørn Olesen12:20 p.m.: Kristoffer Reitan, Mark Hubbard12:30 p.m.: William Mouw, Aaron Rai12:40 p.m.: Matti Schmid, Takumi Kanaya12:55 p.m.: Patton Kizzire, Zecheng Dou1:05 p.m.: Beau Hossler, Keith Mitchell1:15 p.m.: A.J. Ewart, Joel Dahmen1:25 p.m.: Jimmy Stanger, Ricky Castillo1:35 p.m.: Nico Echavarria, Taylor Moore1:45 p.m.: Shane Lowry, Austin SmothermanCognizant Classic weather: Day 4 Sunday
AccuWeather predicts a high of 79 degrees with partly sunny skies in the forecast today in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Winds are expected to blow out of the north-northeast at 10 mph. There is about a 55% chance of rain with a 10% chance of thunderstorms.