The fourth and final round of the 2026 Cognizant Classic gets underway on Sunday at PGA National (Champion Course) in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
Austin Smotherman and Shane Lowry co-lead the Cognizant Classic after the third round at 13-under par. They hold a one-stroke lead over the rest of the field, but I am optimistic that one of them will walk away with the victory.
Here is my pick for the Cognizant Classic Round 4 best bet for Sunday.
Cognizant Classic Round 4 Odds, Best Bet
Shane Lowry Outright Winner (+140 at BetMGM)
Shane Lowry was the best golfer on the course Saturday, firing an 8-under-par round to move into a tie for the lead entering Sunday. He is the betting favorite to win the tournament, and for good reason.
Strong putting is essential at PGA National. Last year, each of the top five finishers ranked 21st or better in the field in strokes gained: putting.
No other strokes-gained category showed a similar trend.
While Lowry is widely known for his iron play, he is also capable of winning with his putter. He has gained true strokes, putting in five of his past seven tournaments, finishing inside the top 26 in all seven events.
Given his profile, it is not surprising that he has consistently performed well at PGA National. Lowry has finished inside the top 11 in each of his past four appearances at this event, including a runner-up finish in 2022.
With a relatively modest leaderboard compared to Lowry’s resume, this presents a strong opportunity for him to capitalize. As a two-time winner on the PGA Tour, Lowry has demonstrated the ability to close on Sunday.
It is also worth noting that Lowry ranks nearly 2% above the PGA Tour average this season in birdie-or-better percentage on approach shots from 150-175 yards. That range is particularly relevant at PGA National, where nearly 22% of approach shots come from that distance, the highest distribution of any 25-yard grouping.
