The top four PGA Tour money leaders and nine of the top-11 were not in the field for the Cognizant Classic at PGA National. As a result, there wasn’t much fluctuation at the top.
But the players on the first page of the Cognizant leaderboard shot dozens of spots up the money list, led by winner Joe Highsmith, who went from 129th to 14th with his first PGA Tour title.
Highsmith earned $1,656,000 to nearly multiply his bankroll entering the week of the tournament by ten. He now has $1,774,406.
Also improving their position were the two players who tied for second, J.J. Spaun and Jacob Bridgeman. Spaun jumped from 36th to 15th and Bridgeman went from 128th to 39th. Both picked up checks for $818,800 and Spaun joined Highsmith in passing the $1 million mark for the season.
Three new PGA Tour millionaires
Highsmith, Spaun and Ben Griffin (tie for fourth, $414,000) swelled the list of players who have earned $1 million or more on the course to 34.
There will be much more volatility on the money in the next two weeks. Bank on it, so to speak.
This week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational, which begins on Thursday, is the Tour’s fourth signature event and has a $20 million purse, with $4 million going to the winner.
The following week will be the richest event on the tour, The Players Championship, March 13-16 at the Players Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass. That will be a $25 million purse, with $4.5 to the winner.
That’s a combined $45 million and $8.5 million for the winners. The current money list could look very different in two weeks.
PGA Tour money leaders, through Cognizant Classic
(Players in Cognizant Classic, and their finish, in bold)
Ludvig Åberg $4,778,112
Hideki Matsuyama $4,286,802
Rory McIlroy $3,870,714
Maverick McNealy $3,114,102
Sepp Straka $2,921,024 (tie for 11th)
Collin Morikawa $2,702,714
Thomas Detry $2,650,885
Nick Taylor $2,517,264
Shane Lowry $2,426,986 (tie for 11th)
Justin Thomas $2,038,300
Harris English $1,899,468
Sungjae Im $1,898,292 (missed cut)
Scottie Scheffler $1,804,197
Joe Highsmith $1,774,406 (1st)
J.J. Spaun $1,730,472 (tied for 2nd)
Michael Kim $1,677,869 (tied for 6th)
Patrick Rodgers $1,574,659 (tie for 18th)
Sam Stevens $1,481,100
Russell Henley $1,480,025 (tie for 6th)
Patrick Cantlay $1,467,000
Daniel Berger $1,447,341 (tie for 25th)
Tony Finau $1,397,000
Andrew Novak $1,394,450 (missed cut)
Lucas Glover $1,366,088 (missed cut)
Taylor Pendrith $1,323,132 (missed cut)
Brian Campbell $1,304,837 (tie for 48th)
Cam Davis $1,290,400
Nico Echavarria $1,208,050 (missed cut)
Ben Griffin $1,160,179 (tie for 4th)
Justin Rose $1,160,000
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: PGA Tour Cognizant Classic: Who moved up money list after final results
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