On Friday, as the breezes intensified, PGA National presented a more formidable challenge, transforming the easy scoring conditions of the first round into a tougher contest during the second day of the 2026 Cognizant Classic. Austin Smotherman, one of the few competitors who concluded Thursday prominently on the scoreboard, still holds the top position heading into Saturday.
Smotherman validated his excellent play with a solid performance on Friday, expanding his advantage from one stroke to three with a consistent 69, bringing his total to 11 strokes under par. Few participants managed to mount a significant challenge on what proved to be a difficult day.
Although his Friday round of 69 wasn’t as spectacular as his opening 62, Smotherman performed admirably in the more demanding conditions of Friday afternoon. Most of the lowest scores of the day were recorded in the morning, and Smotherman’s 69 stood out as one of the stronger rounds from the later wave. Predictably, his approach shots were the first aspect of his game to be affected by the wind, yet his putting remained exceptional, adding over 2 strokes gained on the rest of the field on the greens for the second consecutive day. A crucial long birdie putt on the 17th hole significantly contributed to this effort.
With two outstanding rounds complete, Smotherman is strongly positioned to secure his inaugural PGA Tour victory as the tournament enters the weekend. His 2026 PGA Tour season has been inconsistent, marked by only one cut made in his initial four events—a tied-for-eighth finish at The American Express. He now appears ready not only to achieve his second top-10 finish of the season but also to potentially claim a career-defining win.
While Smotherman was extending his lead, several prominent players in the field faced an uphill battle on Friday, needing considerable improvement just to qualify for the weekend rounds. Brooks Koepka, Max Homa, and Ryan Gerard all began Friday above par and outside the projected cut line, but each delivered rounds in the mid-60s to ensure their participation in the final 36 holes.
Gerard, who started the week as an unexpected pre-tournament favorite, struggled on Thursday but recovered with a 67 on Friday, placing him at 2 under par and securing his spot for two more rounds. Homa and Koepka, aiming to reignite their peak form, both carded matching rounds of 66.
For Homa, his resurgence in the second round was largely due to his iron play, which generated over 3.3 strokes gained on the field in his approach to the green. Homa, once a top-tier ball-striker on the PGA Tour, has recently experienced a decline, but Friday’s performance served as a powerful reminder of his capabilities when he finds his swing rhythm.
Koepka, conversely, has been among the weakest putters on the PGA Tour this season since his return. He entered the week ranking 171st in strokes gained putting and was 111th on Thursday en route to a 74. His putting underwent a dramatic transformation on Friday; he sank 131 feet and 3 inches of putts—the most of any player in the field during the second round—gaining nearly 4 strokes on the greens.
Following his round, he attributed his change in fortune to an adjustment he made to his putting setup after his struggles on Thursday, despite feeling that his ball-striking was inferior on Friday.
“It was merely my hand position at setup,” Koepka explained. “I was manipulating it. I altered the stroke slightly. I’m not using my hands as much, and I was distorting it by pulling my hands back, which created an inconsistent sensation. Where I thought the ball was going, it wasn’t.”
Achieving a similar putting performance will be exceedingly difficult, but for a player who has struggled to sink putts all year, experiencing a day where the putter catches fire could be immensely beneficial for his confidence on the greens—especially given that he introduced a new putter this season.
Leader
1. Austin Smotherman (-12): The wind conditions are expected to calm down on Saturday before intensifying again on Sunday, and players will begin early due to potential storms in the vicinity. This implies that if Smotherman intends to maintain a comfortable advantage heading into the final round, he will need to maintain an aggressive approach during “Moving Day” in favorable conditions. We have observed that low scores are attainable at PGA National following recent course modifications, and Smotherman should remain proactive, aiming for another round in the 60s rather than merely trying to protect his lead for 36 holes.
Contenders
2. Taylor Moore (-8)
T3. Nico Echavarria, A.J. Ewart (-7)
5. Joel Dahmen (-6)
T6. Shane Lowry, Aaron Rai and four others (-5)
T12. Daniel Berger and five others (-4)
T18. Max Homa and eight others (-3)
Ewart delivered the day’s best round on Friday, propelling himself into contention after starting the second 18 holes at even par. His 64 led the field in scoring, and he now finds himself in an unaccustomed position with a late tee time on the weekend for the first time in his nascent career. Echavarria began Friday just one shot behind Smotherman but struggled amidst the tougher conditions and slipped one position on the leaderboard. Despite this minor setback, Echavarria remains a significant threat for the weekend, particularly with Saturday’s forecast resembling Thursday’s conditions when he carded a 63.
Further down the leaderboard, several prominent names such as Joel Dahmen, Shane Lowry, Aaron Rai, and Daniel Berger are positioned. Dahmen has recorded two consecutive steady rounds of 68, but to truly challenge for the lead, he will need to push harder and find more birdies to enter the top mix. Lowry has successfully made the cut at the Cognizant for nine consecutive tournaments and holds an affinity for PGA National, so he should not be overlooked if his putter can heat up and deliver some early conversions on Saturday.
Competitors need not search far for inspiration as they enter the weekend trailing, given that Joe Highsmith claimed victory last year after barely making the cut. While that required a pair of weekend 64s and he was only eight shots off the lead, not 11, everyone will be aware of the possibilities, and we anticipate seeing highly aggressive play early on Saturday as the winds subside.
Notable players who missed the cut
- Luke Clanton (+1)
- Webb Simpson (+1)
- Michael Thorbjornsen (+1)
- Neal Shipley (+2)
- Gary Woodland (+2)
- Chris Kirk (+2)
- Stephan Jaeger (+2)
A shift late on Friday afternoon moved the cut line from +1 to Even par, which excluded a large number of players from competing over the weekend. This group included some of the game’s promising young talents, such as Luke Clanton, Michael Thorbjornsen, and Neal Shipley (who bogeyed his final hole while attempting to secure a birdie to make the cut), all of whom narrowly missed out.
Updated 2026 Cognizant Classic odds, picks
Odds provided by Caesars Sportsbook
- Austin Smotherman (7/4)
- Taylor Moore (7-1)
- Nico Echavarria (19/2)
- Shane Lowry (12-1)
- A.J. Ewart (17-1)
- Joel Dahmen (18-1)
- Aaron Rai (20-1)
It remains to be seen how Smotherman will manage the pressure of leading after 36 holes as he pursues his first career win. The characteristics of this course (with its current configuration) suggest that someone from the pursuing group might eventually overtake him. Echavarria, despite a difficult Friday, possesses a strong chance to post another low score on Saturday and position himself for a victory, and Lowry’s familiarity with this course should keep him in contention until Sunday afternoon.
