PALM BEACH GARDENS — It’s been almost 25 years since Randy Johnson decimated a bird with a pitch in a spring training game and it’s amazing how often that incident still comes up among sports fans.
During Thursday’s first round of the Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches, something happened that brought back the Big Unit bird chatter all over again.
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Nico Echavarria hits the ball out of the water on the 17th hole during the first round of the Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches on February 26, 2026, in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
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See Cognizant Classic 2026 first-round play at PGA National
Nico Echavarria hits the ball out of the water on the 17th hole during the first round of the Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches on February 26, 2026, in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
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Nico Echavarria watches his shot out of the water on the 17th hole during the first round of the Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches on February 26, 2026, in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
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Nico Echavarria walks onto the 17th green after hitting the ball out of the water oduring the first round of the Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches on February 26, 2026, in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
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Nicolas Echavarria laughs with caddie Fabian Azcarate after making par on the 17th hole after hitting the ball in the water during the first round of the Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches on February 26, 2026, in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
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Billy Horschel tees off on the 4th tee during the first round of the Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches on February 26, 2026, in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
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Billy Horschel watches his shot from the fairway of the third hole during the first round of the Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches on February 26, 2026, in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
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Austin Smotherman tees off on the 11th hole during the first round of the Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches on February 26, 2026, in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
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See Cognizant Classic 2026 first-round play at PGA National
Shane Lowry putts on third hole of the during the first round of the Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches on February 26, 2026, in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
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See Cognizant Classic 2026 first-round play at PGA National
Aaron Rai blasts out of the sand on the 3rd hole during the first round of the Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches on February 26, 2026, in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
On the seventh hole at PGA National, Jupiter resident Ryan Gerard hit his tee shot on the par-3 hole and his ball wasn’t in the air for long when it clipped a passing bird.
More Cognizant: Cognizant Classic leaderboard, PGA Tour updates, Round 1 leaders
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Gerard, the highest-rated player (No. 26) in the field, somehow saved par, but the same couldn’t be said for the bird.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Ryan Gerard clips bird mid-flight during Cognizant Classic Round 1
