Weekly PGA Recap: Highsmith Hits the High Note

This article is part of our Weekly PGA Recap series.

With apologies to Joe Highsmith, the story of the Cognizant Classic was not that he shot 64-64 on the weekend to capture his first PGA Tour title. No, the story was that anybody could even shoot twin 64s -- or how about a jaw-dropping 59, as Jake Knapp did on Thursday? -- at a PGA National course that used to be one of the biggest brutes on Tour and now appears a sad remnant of its former self.

Single-digit winners used to be commonplace at the old Honda Classic, but for three years now, PGA National has gotten easier and easier, from 14-under to 17-under and now Highsmith's record-breaking 19-under.

A couple years ago, they turned the long par-4 10th into a short par-5, and par went from 70 to 71, but that can't explain 19-under -- even with little wind resulting in prime scoring conditions. A huge part of it appears to be that they overseeded.

"He shot a 12-under par 59 at PGA National, which no one ever thought," Floridian Billy Horschel said of Knapp on Thursday. "I know we had a discussion earlier this week and I've probably changed my tune a little bit. I think the overseed has -- the rough is not long enough. It's not penal enough when you miss the fairway.

"I really wish we would just play this as a straight Bermuda. From tee to green, everything be straight Bermuda. I know it doesn't look prettier on TV and I know that's one of the reasons why it's overseeded."

For the past two years, since Chris Kirk won in 2023 at 14-under, we thought they'd do something -- anything -- to curb scoring at PGA National. And we were wrong. Now they have to really do something, right? Check back in 12 months.

Moving on …

The 24-year-old Highsmith, who starred at Pepperdine when the Waves won 2021 national men's golf title, needed to make a dicey five-footer on Friday just to make the cut. He did, obviously, and thus became the first golfer in nine years to make the cut on the number and win (Brandt Snedeker, 2016 Farmers).

The cut was 5-under, virtual blasphemy at PGA National with its famed Bear Trap.

But we digress.

This was just the 34th start of Highsmith's PGA Tour career. He moved from 170th in the world rankings to 59th. He'll now be in this week's Arnold Palmer Invitational Signature Event, then THE PLAYERS the following week, then the Masters next month and all the remaining Signature Events.

"Did you say the Masters?" Highsmith asked a reporter. "Yeah, I don't want to break any protocol. I'm not sure if I've officially received [an invitation]. But that's the one. Augusta National is a place that has a really special place in my heart. …

"Then obviously the schedule changes will be great. It's an extreme advantage to be playing in those elevated events for how much money and points those guys get to play for. Fortunately was able to get into those for the rest of the year, and hopefully I can play well."

Highsmith owes it all to PGA National -- and whoever's idea it was to overseed.

MONDAY BACKSPIN

J.J. Spaun
Spaun tied for second, two strokes behind Highsmith, for his second podium finish of the season (T3 at the Sony) and will play Bay Hill this week via his place in the Aon Next 10 standings. Spaun is creeping closer to the top-50, which, if he's there in a little more than a month, will get him into the Masters.

Jacob Bridgeman
The 25-year-old Clemson alum is in his second year on Tour. His shared runner-up at the Cognizant was his best career showing by far – it was his first top-10. Bridgeman isa bit of a short hitter but the rest of his game is quite good, especially his putting. He's ranked 15th on Tour. So maybe keep an eye on him on shorter tracks. This high finish vaulted him into the Aon Swing 5 and a spot in Bay Hill.

Ben Griffin
Griffin is also in Arnold Palmer Invitational via the Aon Swing 5, after his second consecutive tie for fourth and third top-10 already in 2025. He has a balanced all-around game, ranked in the upper half of Tour players in every strokes-gained metric. But at 90th in SG: Putting, Griffin will have to find some better efforts on the greens to get over the top and win for the first time.

Max McGreevy
McGreevy, not to be confused with fellow Korn Ferry grad Matt McCarty, tied for fourth a week after tying for 25th, which followed three MCs and a WD to start the season. He's another guy above average in every SG metric, with an accent on putting – he's ranked 29th. McGreevy will play Bay Hill this week via the Aon Swing 5.

Jake Knapp
It took a while to get to someone who opened with a 59. Knapp was in or near the lead all week until coming to the 11th on Sunday. It was there he found the water, resulting in a triple-bogey 7. So much good work foiled by a couple of wayward shots, resulting in a tie for sixth. At the beginning of the week, that would've sounded awesome. On Sunday night, not so much.

Russell Henley
One of the pre-tournament favorites tied for sixth, continuing a trend where Henley has very good finishes but just can't seem to contend for a title. He's ranked 14th in the world, so it's hard to quibble. But he's won only once in the past eight years – in 2022 at Mayakoba.

Michael Kim
Kim is set for another Signature Event after yet another great week -- he tied for sixth after a runner-up at Phoenix and then twin T13s. He's up to 68th in the world, and each week sets a new personal best in the rankings.

Jordan Spieth
Spieth could not play his way into Bay Hill – word leaked last week and then was confirmed that he did not get a sponsor invite – but he did tie for ninth. That follows a tie for fourth at Phoenix. It's still early in his comeback from wrist surgery, and the fields have not been the greatest, but two top-10s are two- top-10s. Spieth inched up to No. 64 in the OWGR.

Luke Clanton
Everybody's favorite amateur sponsor invite is about to take the next step in his career – his pro career. Clanton made the cut and tied for 18th, giving him enough PGA Tour University points for PGA Tour membership at the end of the collegiate season. That doesn't mean we won't see him again before then, with more sponsor invites available – though not for Bay Hill.

Rickie Fowler
Like Spieth, Fowler was not invited to Bay Hill. Also like Spieth, he played well at the Cognizant – at least for three rounds – and tied for 18th. He was in the top-10 until a closing 1-over 72.

Daniel Berger
Berger did not have another one of his super-high finishes at PGA National, but he did tie for 25th.  That was good enough to send him to Bay Hill via the Aon Next 10.

MISSED CUTS

Sungjae Im, Harry Hall, Cameron Young, Lucas Glover, Davis Thompson, Gary Woodland, Andrew Novak, Austin Eckroat. Im was the 2020 winner at PGA National. … When this tournament tilted toward a birdie-fest, it didn't help Young, Glover or Woodland. … Eckroat was the defending champion who shot 17-under a year ago (and won by three).

LIV and Let Live

Laurie Canter became the first former LIV golfer to qualify for a PGA Tour event. The Englishman is back on the DP World Tour and has rung up a win, a runner-up and a solo third in his past four starts to zoom from well outside the top 100 of the OWGR into the top 50, now at 42nd, to qualify for next week's PLAYERS Championship. If he hangs on for another month-plus, which is a real possibility, he'll also head to the Masters, where he'd get to relive the good ol' LIV days with Brooks Koepka, Cameron Smith, Jon Rahm and other former LIV running mates. Canter finished second on Sunday at a DP World Tour event in South Africa a month after winning in Bahrain.