Jack Nicklaus received the expected news that the Memorial has been assigned to the top-tier Championship Series in the new PGA Tour schedule starting in 2028.
But what does that mean for the other tournament in which Nicklaus is involved, the Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches?
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The Memorial, played at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio, is the seventh event to be confirmed as part of the Championship Series in the PGA Tour’s new two-tiered system.
The Championship Series will be comprised of 23 or 24 events including The Players Championship, the four majors and three playoff events. That left room for about 15 other events to join the upper tier.
Those left behind will be relegated to secondary Challenger Series.
Cognizant Classic: New executive director, same dates for 2027 PGA Tour
Memorial joins the Sentry, Travelers Championship, Arnold Palmer Invitational, Cadillac Championship played at Donald Trump’s Doral course, Raymond James event (formerly Wyndham) and the newly-created Sompo event among those that have secured a spot in the Championship Series.
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Expect the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Genesis Invitational, RBC Heritage and Truist Championship — all part of the current eight Signature Events — to join. That leaves four or five spots for several events, including Cognizant, and possibly others that are newly created to fill out the Championship schedule.
The Championship Series will include 72-hole stroke play tournaments with cuts, and purses of at least $20 million. Field sizes will average around 120 players. There will be no sponsor exemptions.
The Challenger Series will include at least 20 events, with fields of 144 players, all outside of the top 120 in the points list, and purses of at least $4 million. Players on the Championship Series will not be allowed to play in Challenger Series tournaments.
At the end of each season, 90 players at the Championship level will retain their eligibility, while the bottom 30 will be in danger of being relegated to the Challenger Series. In turn, those in the Challenger Series will have the opportunity to be elevated to the Championship Series.
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PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp disputed Rory McIlroy’s claim that Challenger Series events will be “glorified Korn Ferry” events.
Will Cognizant Classic be part of PGA Tour Championship Series
Haotong Li tees off on the 15th hole during the final round of the Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches at PGA National Resort & Spa on Sunday, March 1, 2026, in Palm Beach Gardens, FL.
With the new schedule starting in 2028, Cognizant is secure for 2027. It will be played February 25-28 at PGA National, its 21st year at the resort, and once again will kick off the Florida Swing.
The event has seen what has happened in recent years being in a difficult spot in the schedule that has lead to several elite players skipping the tournament. The event has become a shell of what it was during its heyday in the mid-2010s when it comes to the field, the energy and impact on the community.
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The 2026 Cognizant Classic had the lowest ranked field of the year for regular PGA Tour events, according to the Official World Golf Ranking. For the first time since moving to PGA National in 2004, the field lacked a player in the top 25 of the world rankings.
Being relegated to the Challenger Series would further diminish the tournament and could, eventually, lead to its demise.
The Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation, started by Jack and Barbara Nicklaus, is the primary charitable benefactor of the Cognizant Classic.
If the event is part of the Challenger Series it also could be moved to the fall.
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Rolapp is expected to give another update on the schedule August 25 ahead of the Tour’s season ending Tour Championship in Atlanta. The complete 2028 schedule with all Championship and Challenger series events is expected to be announced in early 2027.
Tom D’Angelo is a senior sports columnist and reporter for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at tdangelo@pbpost.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Cognizant Classic faces uncertain future in new PGA Tour schedule
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