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Rickie Fowler has opened the floodgates for the Cognizant Classic. The tournament hasn't had any official entrants yet, but Fowler has changed that by becoming the first player to commit to playing. It is expected now that others will follow suit.
Not only is Fowler the first to commit, but he's also going to be one of the most notable. The popular golfer is currently ranked 27th in the world, making the commitment a huge move for the tournament.
Cognizant's executive director Joie Chitwood said about Fowler's commitment via Golf Magic:
"As one of the most exciting players on the PGA Tour, he is a tremendous addition to our field and is sure to generate a plethora of excitement for our partners and fans during tournament week."
The Cognizant Classic, which is formerly known as the Honda Classic, has often struggled to get many golfers involved. It's not in an ideal part of the schedule and it routinely gets passed over as a result.
However, Fowler's commitment could spur other PGA Tour stars to join the field as well. It usually has a depleted field and isn't one fans are as tuned in to, but that could be different with Fowler on board early and with a new name.
The revamped PGA schedule has the Cognizant Classic fitting in right after the West Coast Swing (with events like the WM Phoenix Open) and as the start of the Florida Swing on the schedule.
Fowler has just six PGA Tour wins to date, with his win last year breaking an incredible losing streak. One of those six victories actually came in the Classic in 2017.
It remains to be seen what other golfers will follow suit, but Fowler is a big get for Cognizant in their first year as sponsor of the tournament. The golfer underwent some swing changes last year which led to a complete turnaround, though he's not been off to as much success in 2024.
Rickie Fowler not heading to LIV Golf
Every major golfer always has LIV Golf speculation hanging over their head. This is no different for Rickie Fowler, who recently saw rumors flying after he wore some gear without his typical sponsors.
The plain gear had some fans speculating that he was leaving the PGA Tour, but that's not the case. In fact, he said via SB Nation that it was just a contract issue:
"I have zero plans to go anywhere. My contract was up, and I was told they weren’t looking to renew or extend. It was a good fit with them taking over at Torrey [Pines], a tournament I loved and was closest to where I grew up. I loved doing the fun commercials with them over the years; it was a great partnership, and it was their decision to scale back.”
That commitment, plus his decision to join a PGA event that most golfers try to skip out on, indicates that Rickie Fowler will not be leaving for LIV Golf any time soon.
