Report: Cognizant Classic hit by PGA cutbacks

Field Level Media|published: Fri 24th April, 13:47 2026

Todd Fleming, Executive Director of Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches with the 17th green in the distance on February 9, 2026, in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

The tournament director of the Cognizant Classic of the Palm Beaches has been laid off as part of a staff reduction by the PGA Tour, Sports Illustrated reported Friday.

On Thursday, the PGA Tour laid off 56 employees, per the report. Todd Fleming, the Cognizant director, was among them.

The Cognizant is expected to go on in 2027 with an interim director in charge. The tournament has been operated by PGA Tour Events for the past three years. That group also is in charge of events that include the Players Championship and the Tour Championship and uses PGA Tour employees.

Most tournaments on the PGA Tour are operated and owned by local groups that work on behalf of area non-profits.

The Cognizant first was held in 1972 and known then as the Jackie Gleason Inverrary Classic. It later was called the Honda Classic and then the Cognizant.

Since 2007, PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens has been the home course of the event. It was played this season from Feb. 26-March 1 and won by Nico Echavarria, who earned just over $1.728 million.

Earlier this week, the PGA Tour said it is dropping the January season-opening events in Hawaii.

--Field Level Media

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