The next tournament on the PGA Tour schedule is the Cognizant Classic, which is all set to start on February 26. Interestingly, a pretty competitive field of 121 golfers is gearing up to take part in this event and play on one of the historic courses of the PGA circuit, the PGA National Resort’s Champion Course. In this article, a thorough look at some of the most important details of the course has been explored.
The PGA National Resort was founded and established in 1980, and a few years ago, it even served as the PGA of America’s headquarters; however, in 2022, the headquarters was later relocated to Texas. Interestingly, the resort has a total of 99 championship holes, which are distributed among four separate championship courses. The biggest and main course of the resort is named The Champion, host of the 2026 Cognizant Classic.
The Champion Course is a par 72 golf course that runs around 7,045-7,081 yards. The most challenging aspect of this course is its slope that will surely present as a significant challenge for the golfers competing in the Cognizant Classic. The course has been remodeled by the great golfer Jack Nicklaus, who worked with his business Nicklaus Design to work extensively on the course, making adjustments to the greens, bunkers, and crucial holes to make it more challenging.
As one of the most challenging golf courses, The PGA National Champion Course has held important events such as the 1983 Ryder Cup, 1987 PGA Championship, Senior PGA Championships, and later it has been the home for the Cognizant Classic since 2007. One of the course’s key characteristics is “The Bear Trap,” which refers to holes 15, 16, and 17. It is one of golf’s most difficult three-hole sequences in the world. These three holes, with water-lined fairways, penal bunkers, and narrow objectives, require precision rather than technique.
What is the TV schedule and streaming information for the 2026 Cognizant Classic?
The 2026 Cognizant Classic will take place this week, with the first two rounds airing exclusively on Golf Channel. After that, the weekend game will be broadcast on both the Golf Channel and NBC. Talking more about the channel timings, here’s a look at them:
Thursday, February 26, Round 1:
- Golf Channel: 2-6 p.m. ET
Friday, February 27, Round 2:
- Golf Channel: 2-6 p.m. ET
Saturday, February 28, Round 3:
- Golf Channel: 1-3 p.m. ET
- NBC: 3-6 p.m. ET
Sunday, March 1, Round 4:
- Golf Channel: 1-3 p.m. ET
- NBC: 3-6 p.m. ET
ESPN+ and NBC’s Peakcock are going to be the streaming platforms that will be covering the tournament. The webcast will begin at 6:45 AM ET for the first two rounds, and 7:45 AM ET for the weekend’s two rounds.
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