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Cognizant Classic: Round 4 preview, current standings, and how to watch
Updated March 1, 2026, 2:20 p.m. ET
The 2026 Cognizant Classic began with two players clearly ahead of the field on the leaderboard. As the final round approaches, that advantage has tightened: four players are now within a single stroke of the lead.
Shane Lowry, the 2019 British Open champion, produced a bogey-free round of 63 to move to 8-under in Round 3. This performance propelled him into a tie for the lead with Austin Smotherman, who had led after the first two rounds. Lowry’s surge marked a dramatic shift as Smotherman’s early-day dominance appeared to waver.
Nico Echavarria and Taylor Moore are just one stroke behind the leaders as they head into the last round. A surprise entrant, 30-year-old Tampa native Jimmy Stanger, is tied for fifth after carding seven birdies in Round 3. Stanger’s best PGA Tour result to date is a third-place finish at the 2024 Puerto Rico Open. Other contenders who climbed into contention include Ricky Castillo, Beau Hossler, Patton Kizzire, and Keith Mitchell, all buzzing with momentum from Thursday to Saturday.
You can watch Cognizant Classic live on Peacock. The latest leaderboard updates and full coverage are available through USA TODAY’s golf leaderboard hub.
Final-round leaders (as of 2:15 p.m. Sunday):
- T1. Taylor Moore, -14 (3 holes remaining)
- T1. Austin Smotherman, -14 (2 holes remaining)
- T3. Nico Echavarria, -13 (3 holes remaining)
- T3. Shane Lowry, -13 (2 holes remaining)
- T5. Jimmy Stanger, -12 (3 holes remaining)
- T5. Ricky Castillo, -12 (3 holes remaining)
- 7. Nicolai Højgaard, -11 (14 holes remaining)
- T8. Brooks Koepka, -10 (16 holes remaining)
- T7. A.J. Ewart, -10 (4 holes remaining)
For ongoing scores, consult USA TODAY’s leaderboard: https://sportsdata.usatoday.com/golf/pga/leaderboard/5008413
Round 4 schedule and viewing options
Date: Sunday, March 1
- First tee time: 8:05 a.m. ET
- Television window: 1–6 p.m. ET
- TV channels: Golf Channel followed by NBC
- Streaming options: ESPN app (Select plan) and Peacock; PGA Tour Live offers featured group and hole-specific streaming via the ESPN app starting around 7:45 a.m. ET when you have the Select plan
Round 4 tee times (All times Eastern):
- 8:05 a.m. – Joe Highsmith
- 8:10 a.m. – Tom Kim, Dylan Wu
- 8:20 a.m. – Emiliano Grillo, Adam Schenck
- 8:30 a.m. – Davis Thompson, Carson Young
- 8:40 a.m. – Alex Smalley, Danny Walker
- 8:50 a.m. – Billy Horschel, Max McGreevy
- 9:00 a.m. – Haotong Li, David Ford
- 9:10 a.m. – Jackson Suber, Seamus Power
- 9:20 a.m. – Chan Kim, John Parry
- 9:30 a.m. – Michael Brennan, Hank Lebioda
- 9:45 a.m. – Patrick Fishburn, Chandler Phillips
- 9:55 a.m. – Matt Wallace, Adrien Saddier
- 10:05 a.m. – Dan Brown, Austin Eckroat
- 10:15 a.m. – Jordan Smith, Christiaan Bezuidenhout
- 10:25 a.m. – Garrick Higgo, Pontus Nyholm
- 10:35 a.m. – Eric Cole, Daniel Berger
- 10:45 a.m. – Brooks Koepka, Ben Silverman
- 10:55 a.m. – Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, Ryan Gerard
- 11:05 a.m. – Nicolai Højgaard, Mackenzie Hughes
- 11:20 a.m. – Kevin Roy, Zach Bauchou
- 11:30 a.m. – Max Homa, Kevin Streelman
- 11:40 a.m. – Steven Fisk, Lee Hodges
- 11:50 a.m. – Matthieu Pavon, Sudarshan Yellamajaru
- Noon – Chad Ramey, Adrien Dumont de Chassart
- 12:10 p.m. – Rasmus Højgaard, Thorbjørn Olesen
- 12:20 p.m. – Kristoffer Reitan, Mark Hubbard
- 12:30 p.m. – William Mouw, Aaron Rai
- 12:40 p.m. – Matti Schmid, Takumi Kanaya
- 12:55 p.m. – Patton Kizzire, Zecheng Dou
- 1:05 p.m. – Beau Hossler, Keith Mitchell
- 1:15 p.m. – A.J. Ewart, Joel Dahmen
- 1:25 p.m. – Jimmy Stanger, Ricky Castillo
- 1:35 p.m. – Nico Echavarria, Taylor Moore
- 1:45 p.m. – Shane Lowry, Austin Smotherman
Weather outlook for Palm Beach Gardens, FL
AccuWeather projects a maximum temperature around 79°F with partly sunny conditions in Palm Beach Gardens. Expect northeasterly winds near 10 mph, with about a 55% chance of rain and a 10% chance of thunderstorms.
Notes
- All times are in Eastern Time. If you’re following the event live, this schedule can help you plan your viewing and note when leaders might be in contention.
- This rewrite preserves the original facts (names, scores, round details, scheduling) while presenting them in a fresh, beginner-friendly narrative. If you’d like, I can tailor the tone further for a specific audience (e.g., casual fans, new golf viewers, or a players’ briefing).
Would you like me to add a brief glossary of common golf-score terms or provide a one-page cheat sheet for tracking rounds and scores during the finale?
