Ryan Lavner calls for Cognizant Classic rethink after this year’s event
· Yahoo Sports
The PGA Tour has faced criticism this week over the field at the Cognizant Classic, with some calling for changes to be made to future editions of the tournament.
The event has fallen into an awkward spot on the calendar, following back-to-back signature events at Pebble Beach and Riviera.
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And with many big names returning for next week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational, followed by The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass, it is clear why some players opted out this time around.
Calls grow for PGA Tour to shift Cognizant Classic after underwhelming field
Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty ImagesIn that context, a number of the biggest names are sitting this week out. Ryan Gerard is the only player inside the top 30 in the world rankings set to tee it up at PGA National.
It is a worrying sign, especially as fans and players are still getting used to the new, shorter PGA Tour schedule.
But Ryan Lavner, while speaking on the Golf Channel Podcast, suggested the Cognizant Classic has an ideal spot on the new calendar.
He said: “You mentioned the logjam in the schedule, where you have three signature events plus The Players in a five-week span. And of course, it’s pretty unreasonable, except for Shane Lowry who’s doing five weeks in a row, to ask a Rory or Scottie to do that sort of thing. But it’s an interesting dynamic because the PGA Tour owns and operates the Cognizant Classic. They are motivated to boost the stature of this tournament.
“To me, it is a no-brainer, whenever the PGA Tour remakes the schedule, and let’s say they kick it off with Phoenix, which is the rumour that you’re going to have it in mid-February, why would you not make this number two or number three on the PGA Tour schedule if you’re blowing up the idea of a West Coast Swing? I know you think it’s a little bit chilly, I know you’re wearing three layers right now. But that’s a great opportunity for players who have been deprived of playing opportunities for four or five months to kickstart it at a Doral, kickstart it at a PGA National.
“We have a bevy of stars who live locally. Just simply bumping it up in the schedule ahead of what could potentially be a West Coast Swing I think is the move here. And then all of a sudden, we’re not talking about zero top 25 players, we’re talking about this event redeveloping its stature that we saw in the early 2010s.”
Jack Nicklaus and Rory McIlroy among the Cognizant Classic’s most famous winners
The event has produced plenty of memorable moments over the years, with some big names lifting the trophy.
Jack Nicklaus went back-to-back in 1977 and 1978, while Nick Price and Vijay Singh both took titles during the 1990s.
One of the standout wins came in 2012, when Rory McIlroy claimed victory by two shots to become world number one for the first time.
It is also the only PGA Tour event where McIlroy and Tiger Woods have finished first and second. Woods, tied with Tom Gillis that week at PGA National, posted his best-ever result at what was then called the Honda Classic.
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