PGA DFS GPP Breakdown: Cognizant Classic
Long-time grinder, STLCardinals84, breaks down his top PGA DFS picks in various price ranges for this week’s tournament. Which golfers should you be targeting to try and take down the big DFS tournaments? Find out below!
Welcome back, golf fans! The Cognizant Classic is upon us this week, and it marks the start of this year’s Florida swing. This tournament may have a new sponsor (RIP Honda Classic), but the venue remains the same as usual with PGA National playing host.
Over the last 17 years at this event, the winning score has only gotten into double digits under par six times. However, the winning score got to 14 under par a year ago, and changes have been made to the course this year. The previously long par four 10th hole will now play as a short par five, and the course will play to a par of 71 instead of 70. Naturally, that is going to lead to better scoring numbers. The rough is also not going to be grown out quite as thick this year, so we could see some more birdies. We will also need to monitor the weather forecast, as Friday winds look like they might offer us a bit of a wave advantage as of the early portion of the week.
While I generally don’t put a ton of emphasis on short game play and bogey avoidance, those abilities are certainly important at this event. Distance off the tee isn’t necessarily a prerequisite to contend, though it obviously doesn’t hurt to be closer to the green after your tee shots. As usual on tough courses though, I will be focusing on approach play for the most part. Ball striking is key here, as is the ability to save par when needed. I also won’t be afraid to take a few risks with my GPP builds, as the water hazards around this course make for a very unpredictable tournament.
Let’s move on to some GPP selections that I am eyeing for the week!
PGA DFS Picks: DraftKings & FanDuel GPP Breakdown for the Cognizant Classic
Eric Cole
DraftKings: $9,900
FanDuel: $10,800
Yahoo: $39
I am really loving the way that balanced builds come together this week. Cole is finally starting to see some courses for a second time, and this tournament is the one that kick-started his Rookie of the Year campaign in 2023, as he lost in a playoff to Chris Kirk. Cole rattled off 12 more top-25 finishes after that during the 2023 calendar year. He has kept the form rolling into 2024, and he has bounced back nicely from a January missed cut at the Farmers Insurance Open with three straight cuts made, including a T10 in his last event. It seems like everyone is forgetting about Cole now, and he makes for a strong play in any format on a course where he has already had success.
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