The PGA Tour's Florida Swing is here, but two of its biggest stars are missing. Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler will not be teeing it up at the Cognizant Classic. Their absences come down to strategic scheduling ahead of major championships.

Rory McIlroy, a past winner at PGA National, claimed the title in 2012 when the event was held as The Honda Classic, a result that also moved him to World No. 1 for the first time in his career. 

However, after competing at the 2026 Genesis Invitational, he is not playing the Cognizant Classic this year and is instead traveling to Augusta National Golf Club. 

As the defending Masters champion, he is using the time to complete practice rounds as part of his preparation for the title defense in April, as per Golf Channel.

Scheffler, the 2025 Open Championship winner, is also skipping the Cognizant Classic. Despite his 20 career PGA TOUR titles, he has never won this event.

Scheffler has chosen to step away this week after an early-season run that included a win at The American Express, using the break to reset his schedule ahead of the remaining events in the Florida Swing.

With McIlroy and Scheffler out, the focus shifts to the players competing in the Cognizant Classic.

All about the 2026 Cognizant Classic

As the PGA TOUR begins its Florida Swing, the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches is set to take place from February 26 to March 1, 2026, at the Champion Course at PGA National Resort in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. 

The tournament will be played for a total purse of $9.6 million, with the winner earning $1.728 million along with 500 FedExCup points.

The 2026 field features 56 PGA TOUR winners, including Brooks Koepka, who returns to the event for the first time in three years. 

Meanwhile, Joe Highsmith enters as the defending champion after securing his first TOUR title at this venue in 2025.

Beyond that, several top-ranked players are part of the field, including Ben Griffin, Ryan Gerard, and Shane Lowry. 

The lineup also includes past winner Adam Scott (2016), Max Homa, and Billy Horschel.

Follow Club Golf for more updates.

Written by

Aditi Singh

Edited by

Sagnik Bagchi