2024 Cognizant Classic Weather Forecast and Projections
We’re teeing off for the Cognizant Classic in Palm Beach Gardens this week, and the weather is classically “Florida.” That leaves us with generally nice weather, with an occasional breeze and a chance for some spotty rain or storms. Let’s break it down…
As usual in my golf weather forecasts, we’re focusing more on wind than rain. While rain can halt play if it’s heavy enough, it also helps soften and slow the course, which helps as much as it hurts. With wind, there’s no helpful side; it’s all negative impact. And the impact can lead to dramatic differences in scoring. My goal is always to try to highlight the time frame with the lightest winds and the time frame with the strongest winds to see if there’s a cumulative advantage for one wave over another. You can then use this to your advantage when making your picks on DFS sites and sportsbooks.
Cognizant Classic Weather Forecast
Thursday, February 29th (I don’t get to type that very often!)
It’s a really nice day for golf, with winds around 5 mph in the early morning, climbing to around 10 mph, and sustained with stronger gusts in the afternoon. Rain chances are low, and winds are fairly light all day.
Friday, March 1st
A bit breezier on Friday. Winds should start out around 10 mph, likely climbing to 15 mph sustained with gusts over 20 mph around noon and into the mid-afternoon. There’s another low chance of an afternoon shower or storm, but the main story is the wind.
Saturday, March 2nd
It’s a fairly steady wind, around 10 mph for the majority of the day. Gusts will peak around noon. Rain chances are low.
Sunday, March 3rd
Closing things out with a more typical “light AM winds, climbing a bit in the afternoon” pattern. The biggest change on Sunday is that rain chances climb from 10% and 20% chances in the earlier days to about a 40% chance of rain by the afternoon.
Cognizant Classic Weather Thoughts
I don’t think the weather makes or breaks you here, but it is worth noting and considering. My usual recommendation is to avoid the peak wind times (Friday afternoon for this tournament), so I slightly prefer a Thursday PM / Friday AM build. The downside of this build is that you miss out on the perfect weather on Thursday morning and end up dealing with at least some wind both on Thursday and Friday. The bottom line is that I think the weather is only a minor factor in the end result of the tournament.
For the latest info as the Cognizant Classic forecast changes, stay tuned to @KevinRothWx on Twitter or check my main forecast page.
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