The primary spherical of the Florida Swing produced just a little little bit of every little thing. Quite a few gamers tried pictures from water hazards, a worrying withdrawal got here from one of many sport’s extra fashionable figures, and even a chicken was clipped by the pre-tournament favourite. Unaffected by all of it was none aside from Austin Smotherman, who opened his 2026 Cognizant Basic with a sensational 9-under 62 to command the first-round lead by a single stroke over Nico Echavarria.
“Two weeks off, I come out right here right this moment excited to play,” Smotherman stated. “I am glad I used to be an early tee time right this moment, too, not having to attend round and possibly see different guys doing what they’re doing. However I simply wished to get on the golf course. Felt like the sport was in a great spot.
“To be sincere, I did not play a ton after I was house — simply took the remainder after I may, figuring out I am about to play as many weeks as I can till my spouse is due with our third youngster right here March twenty third. Figuring issues out on the street solo this week, and the sport sort of adopted. It was a fairly straightforward spherical on a golf course that should not be this straightforward. It felt fairly good.”
Smotherman began his match with a few birdies in his first 5 holes earlier than he caught fireplace across the flip. He made six birdies in a row from Nos. 7-12 to catapult himself right into a share of the lead. A birdie on the par-5 finisher made it so his identify was the one to complete Thursday alone on the prime.
Whereas Smotherman and a few of his friends loved calm circumstances within the morning, five-time main champion Brooks Koepka and people off within the afternoon confronted a distinct problem. With wind choosing up because the day progressed, gamers had been tasked with navigating a tougher PGA Nationwide, albeit nonetheless a comparatively tame one traditionally.
Experiencing two irritating tournaments on the West Coast courtesy of some severe placing woes, Koepka got here into the Cognizant Basic with some renewed enthusiasm on the greens. Nonetheless, persevering with to wield the TaylorMade Spider putter, he continued to see the identical outcomes.
The Florida native turned in a spherical of three over, hindered by each his play on the greens and the style wherein he completed. Koepka’s most noteworthy connection got here from 36 toes on the par-4 sixth for the primary of two birdies. Sadly, his second-longest putt from 5 toes, 5 inches got here on the par-3 seventeenth for a double-bogey 5, which was sandwiched in between two different fives on the scorecard.
“He shot 3 over, so I do not assume he performed his greatest,” Daniel Berger stated of Koepka. “Clearly had a tough time on 17, but when there’s one factor I do know, it is he can flip it round straight away. I count on him to return out tomorrow and play nicely.”
Chief
1. Austin Smotherman (-9): If you are going to shoot 62 at PGA Nationwide, you’re going to make your fair proportion of putts, and that’s precisely what Smotherman did. The 31-year-old made 132 toes of putts, gained over three strokes with the flat stick in hand and did so whereas 17 greens in regulation. The latter will probably be an important on Friday as he goes off within the afternoon when circumstances are anticipated to freshen.
“I felt like I simply wished to hit good putts on the excessive line all day and simply very liberating,” Smotherman stated. “I am utilizing no line on the golf ball this week for the primary time shortly, however I felt prefer it sort of simply helps with these greens. There’s a lot motion and the tempo that they’re, after which with the wind, to not be adjusting and so conscientious of that line, so I felt like that was fairly liberating.
“The size of putts that I used to be making was good to see, however I additionally felt like I hit plenty of good putts. The par save on 15 to sort of hold issues going, a par save as nicely on 6 after a foul lag putt, that sort of stored issues going. So having these issues occur after which an extended putt goes in, you are stealing them, and then you definitely hit one shut, and also you simply hold constructing these holes. Earlier than it, you are completed, and right here we’re.”
Contenders
2. Nico Echavarria (-8)
T3. Taylor Moore, Jackson Suber, Daniel Berger, Kevin Roy, Kristoffer Reitan (-4)
T8. Keith Mitchell, Joel Dahmen, Michael Brennan, Aaron Rai and 9 others (-3)
It was not Smotherman who led the sphere in strokes gained placing on Thursday however moderately Echavarria. The 2-time PGA Tour winner has missed 4 cuts in 5 begins to start his 2026 season together with his lone weekend look coming as a prime 10 end at Pebble Seaside. Regardless of the volatility, Echavarria insisted that his sport was shut, and Thursday was proof of that as he too went round PGA Nationwide and not using a dropped shot.
“It wasn’t the very best begin of the yr, however I did play very, very nicely in Pebble, and people signature occasions provide you with plenty of factors, so I am pleased with that,” Echavarria stated. “The golf hasn’t been that far off, and I may inform right this moment that having endurance and simply having fun with it on the market was going to be the important thing for the day, and we did that.”
How gamers are reacting to PGA Nationwide
From 2006-23, 11 golfers shot 10 beneath or higher at PGA Nationwide. In 2025, 38 gamers completed the feat with Jake Knapp even capturing 59. Now, there have been some modifications between these two durations, together with the golf course being overseeded and the par-4 tenth getting modified to a par 5, which adjusts a participant’s rating to par.
Nonetheless, although, if final yr (and Thursday) was any indication of the issue of this golf course, it might be truthful to say that that is formally not your father’s PGA Nationwide. So, why is that? Simply ask Billy Horschel, a Florida native who has been vocal about what has transpired on the venue.
“I talked about it final yr. This can be a actually good golf course. It is a particularly reasonable golf course. When it blows laborious, it is a problem, and when it is kind of benign like it’s right this moment, it is gettable,” Horschel defined. “A couple of years in the past, the tough was longer after which they began reducing it down after which they overseeded the golf course. Pay attention, I feel the Tour will get a foul rap, and it is not something in opposition to the house owners of PGA Nationwide. I perceive the place they’d need to overseed. …This is not simply PGA Nationwide; it goes to plenty of programs that we play all through the years.”
Worrying withdrawal from Will Zalatoris
Nicely, at the very least it isn’t his again, however a withdrawal shortly earlier than his Spherical 1 tee time has some worrying about Zalatoris. Based on the PGA Tour, Zalatoris’ exit was resulting from a left ankle damage because the wiry right-hander was on the apply amenities at PGA Nationwide, gearing up for first-round motion earlier than pulling his identify off the tee sheet.
Zalatoris opened his season with a top-20 end at The American Specific earlier than he missed the reduce on the Farmers Insurance coverage Open. As soon as a constant contender in main championships, Zalatoris has dropped to No. 252 within the Official World Golf Rankings and isn’t certified for any of the 4 main championships for the 2026 season.
2026 Cognizant Basic up to date odds, picks
Odds by way of DraftKings Sportsbook
- Nico Echavarria: 9/2
- Austin Smotherman: 5-1
- Daniel Berger: 12-1
- Kristoffer Reitan: 12-1
- Keith Mitchell: 20-1
- Rasmus Højgaard: 24-1
- Kevin Roy: 24-1
The morning ought to play simpler on Friday as soon as once more, which can create a chance for somebody like Michael Brennan to inch in the direction of the lead. The PGA Tour rookie is listed at 35-1 after a gap 68 throughout which he hit 12 of 14 fairways to enhance his jaw-dropping size off the tee. The brief sport was just a little sloppy, but when he cleans that up, he may have an opportunity heading into the weekend.
