PALM BEACH GARDENS — The field for the Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches received a major blow at the start of the week when its two highest ranked players withdrew on Monday.
Jupiter’s Ben Griffin, ranked No. 11, and Jacob Bridgeman, who surged to No. 20 in the Official World Golf Rankings after winning the Genesis Invitational, have opted out of the tournament that starts Feb. 26 at PGA National.
PACIFIC PALISADES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 22: Jacob Bridgeman of the United States is congratulated by Tiger Woods after putting in to win on the 18th green during the final round of The Genesis Invitational 2026 at Riviera Country Club on February 22, 2026 in Pacific Palisades, California. (Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty Images)
The field now includes just one top 30 player in the rankings, No. 26 Ryan Gerard. Already suffering because it follows the Pebble Beach Pro-Am and Genesis Invitational and comes before the Arnold Palmer Invitational and The Players Championship, the Cognizant field will include eight of the world’s top 50.
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That, though, does not include Jupiter’s Brooks Koepka, Adam Scott, Billy Horschel and Delray Beach’s Gary Woodland. They are all popular figures on the Tour who are not in the top 50.
Tom D’Angelo is a senior sports columnist and reporter for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at tdangelo@pbpost.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Genesis winner Jacob Bridgeman withdraws from Cognizant Classic
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