Round 3 of the 2026 Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches has seen tee times moved up due to bad weather in South Florida. Austin Smotherman holds a three-shot lead after rounds of 62 and 69. Coverage begins at 10 a.m. ET on Golf Channel.
The Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches, held at PGA National's Champion Course in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, features a $9.6 million purse. Austin Smotherman captured his first 36-hole lead on the PGA Tour with a bogey-free opening 62 followed by a 2-under 69 on Friday, February 27, 2026. He leads Taylor Moore by three strokes, with Moore posting back-to-back 4-under 67s.
Nico Echavarria and PGA Tour rookie A.J. Ewart share third place at four strokes back. Ewart, a 26-year-old Canadian who earned his Tour card via medalist honors at the 2025 Q-School Final Stage, fired the low round of the day with a 7-under 64.
Inclement weather in the area prompted organizers to advance Saturday's tee times. Play is set to begin earlier than originally planned, with leaders like Smotherman, Moore, and Ewart scheduled for later groupings.
Television coverage for Round 3 starts at 10 a.m. ET on Golf Channel, running until 3 p.m., followed by NBC from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., with live coverage until play ends and taped highlights afterward. A Peacock stream will carry the final three hours from noon to 3 p.m. ET. PGA Tour Live on ESPN+ offers streams starting at 7:15 a.m., including main feed, marquee group, featured groups, and holes.
Featured groups include Brooks Koepka with Ryan Gerard and Ben Silverman at 7:52 a.m., and Max Homa with Thorbjørn Olesen and Kevin Streelman at 8:16 a.m. Sunday's coverage shifts to 1 p.m. on Golf Channel.
