GOLF: Shane Lowry, Brooks Koepka head PGA Tour's return to Florida

There’s plenty of Florida flavor on the PGA Tour this week as golfers leave the West Coast swing behind and head to the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches, teeing off Thursday in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

And funny enough, the best place to start might be with Irishman Shane Lowry.

An adopted Floridian who makes his home in Jupiter just minutes away, Lowry is appearing at the Cognizant Classic for the ninth time. The three-time PGA Tour winner could be considered the favorite at PGA National this week, having come just a hair away from winning in 2022. No players in this week’s field are ranked in the top 25 in the world.

“I really enjoy Florida golf,” Lowry said Wednesday. “It’s funny—when I moved here or first started playing, back in the days of the old Honda Classic, I couldn’t figure out how to chip around these greens. I wish it was overseeded back then. But I figured it out. I moved here, and you kind of learn how to deal with Bermuda and the Florida grasses. I do love Florida golf now.”

Lowry loves it so much, in fact, that he’s playing the first three events of the Florida swing—this week, the Arnold Palmer Invitational, and The Players Championship—making for five straight weeks of competition for the 2019 Open champion. Getting to sleep in his own bed helps make that possible.

“I think if it was five weeks in a row with no home weeks in there, I wouldn’t play five weeks straight,” he said. “The fact that I’m at home this week makes it easier. I get to drive to Bay Hill next week, so there are no flights. I get to see my family. There’s a lot in that that makes five weeks easier than if you’re five weeks away from home.”

At the other end of the spectrum, 22-year-old Florida native Luke Clanton is happy to be home as well. Clanton played the Cognizant Classic last year on a sponsor’s exemption while still attending Florida State. By making the cut, he earned the 20th and final point needed to secure a full-time PGA Tour card through the PGA Tour University system, tying for 18th with three rounds in the 60s.

Clanton also has a long history with PGA National, having played junior golf events and coming as a fan.

“I came here since I was probably 8 years old with my best friend,” Clanton said. “We used to come every Friday and Sunday. Our moms would drop us off, and we’d run around and be a bunch of idiots, but it was a lot of fun.”

The most accomplished player on the property—and the hometown favorite—is Brooks Koepka. The five-time major champion is making his third start in his return to the PGA Tour after four years with LIV Golf.

“This is a true hometown event,” said Koepka, who is from West Palm Beach. “It’s just enjoyable to see faces you haven’t seen in a long time. Sometimes it’s the only time I see people, and that’s when I’m here at this event. It’ll be fun. I’m looking forward to it.”

The defending champion is Joe Highsmith, who won his first career title here last year. This week also marks the final chance for players to qualify for next week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational via the Aon Next 10 or Aon Swing 5 points standings.

—Field Level Media/Reuters