Brooks Koepka shot a 3-over 74 in the opening round of the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches, struggling late to tie for 100th at PGA National. Will Zalatoris withdrew just before his tee time due to a left ankle injury, replaced by Ben Silverman. Austin Smotherman leads after six straight birdies.
The 2026 Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches began Thursday at PGA National's Champion Course in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, with a $9.6 million purse on the line. Local favorite Brooks Koepka, returning to the PGA Tour after time with LIV Golf, started steadily but faltered on the back nine. He reached 1 under through 12 holes before a bogey on the par-4 13th, where a three-putt from 28 feet left him at even par. On the par-4 16th, part of the infamous Bear Trap, Koepka's approach fell short, leading to a missed par putt and a drop to 1 over. The par-3 17th proved disastrous: his tee shot rolled into a collection area, a thin chip went into water, requiring him to remove his shoe and sock to play out, resulting in a double-bogey 5 after chipping to 5½ feet and making the putt. He missed a birdie on the par-5 18th, finishing with a 3-over 74.
Koepka's putting woes persisted, missing four birdie tries from 9 to 11 feet early and only making one, a 36-footer on the sixth. He declined media comments post-round. Playing partner Daniel Berger, also from Jupiter, Florida, shot 4 under to tie for third and praised Koepka: “I like playing with Brooks. I’m happy he’s back. He shot 3 over, so I don’t think he played his best. He obviously had a difficult time on 17. One thing I know is he can turn it around in an instant, so I expect him to come out tomorrow and play well.”
In other news, Will Zalatoris withdrew Thursday morning citing a left ankle injury, unrelated to his recent back surgeries. The 29-year-old, on a medical extension after disc replacement in May 2025, had tied for 18th at The American Express but missed the cut at the Farmers Insurance Open. Ben Silverman filled his spot, teeing off at 12:13 p.m. ET with Koepka and Berger.
A lighter moment came on the par-3 seventh, where Ryan Gerard's tee shot clipped a bird mid-flight, sending feathers flying. The ball landed on the green; Gerard two-putted for par. Golf Channel's Smylie Kaufman confirmed the bird survived, drawing comparisons to Randy Johnson's 2001 baseball incident.
Austin Smotherman leads at 6 under after six straight birdies in his first round on the 7,223-yard, par-71 layout.
