Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. – Austin Smotherman is playing what he calls “boring, simple” golf, and it’s proving to be a remarkably effective strategy at the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches. The 31-year-old carded a 2-under 69 on Friday, following up his stunning opening-round 62, to extend his lead to three strokes at 11 under par. Taylor Moore sits in second place after posting his second consecutive 4-under 67 at PGA National’s Champion Course.
Smotherman’s performance marks a significant shift from his previous appearance at this tournament in 2022, where he missed the cut by four strokes. This time, however, he’s capitalizing on a course condition that favors scoring. The course has been overseeded, adding rye to the Bermudagrass, resulting in softer playing conditions and a greener appearance. “It was a pretty straightforward round,” Smotherman said, “on a golf course that shouldn’t be this easy.”
Smotherman, who has three Korn Ferry Tour victories to his name, including one last June, described his approach as deliberately uncomplicated. “That’s what I aim for to do out there. I feel like I ball strike it good enough to have that kind of boring golf, a bunch of fairways ideally,” he explained. While he encountered three bogeys on Friday – a contrast to his bogey-free first round – a strong stretch between the 17th and 3rd holes, highlighted by a 54-foot birdie putt on the par-3 17th, propelled him forward.
A Course Playing Differently
The conditions at PGA National are noticeably different than in years past. The overseeding process has softened the course, making it more receptive to shots. As Billy Horschel noted after his 2-under 69 on Thursday, the course is “a really good golf course…a remarkably fair golf course.” This trend is reflected in recent winning scores; 11 of the first 14 winners at PGA National finished under 10-under par, while the last five years have seen winning scores of 12 under or better, culminating in 19 under in 2025.
Moore, who remains within striking distance, acknowledged a different approach to his second round. “I feel very different 67s,” he said. “I didn’t hit many fairways yesterday, kind of grinded a lot, had a couple chip-ins, which obviously helps. I thought I struck the ball much better today. Drove it in the fairways on the par-5s, I felt like. Yeah, still had a few up-and- downs, obviously, with the tough windy conditions this afternoon, but overall I thought it was solid.”
The Contenders
Canadian A.J. Ewart fired the round of the day, a 64, to climb to 7 under, tying with Colombia’s Nico Echavarria (72). Joel Dahmen is in fifth place at 6 under after a second consecutive 68. Irishman Shane Lowry is among a group tied for sixth at 5 under, while the defending champion, Joe Highsmith, barely made the cut, finishing at even par.
Several notable players missed the cut, including Webb Simpson (1 over), Gary Woodland (2 over), Matt Kuchar (2 over), and Adam Hadwin of Canada (3 over). You can find the full Cognizant Classic scoreboard here.
Elsewhere on Tour: Kim Leads in Singapore
Across the globe, at the HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore, Auston Kim holds a narrow lead. Kim shot a 3-under 69 on Friday to reach 9 under par, one stroke ahead of major champions Minjee Lee of Australia and Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn, as well as Haeran Ryu of South Korea. Lee carded a 64 on Friday, highlighted by an eagle on the par-4 second hole.
The Cognizant Classic will continue Saturday with Smotherman looking to maintain his lead. He’ll need to continue his “boring, simple” approach to navigate the challenges of PGA National and secure his first PGA Tour victory. The final round is scheduled for Sunday, promising a compelling finish to the tournament.
The tournament’s next checkpoint will be Saturday’s third round, with tee times scheduled throughout the day. Fans can follow live scoring and updates on the PGA Tour website.
What do you think? Will Smotherman hold on to his lead, or will someone else rise to the occasion? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
