Steve Palmer's Cognizant Classic first-round preview and free golf betting tips

Where to watch the Cognizant Classic

Live on Sky Sports Golf, 11.45am Thursday

Best bets

Alex Noren to win 6.02pm threeball
2pts 7-5 Betfair, Power

Christiaan Bezuidenhout to win 4.45pm threeball
2pts 13-10 Coral, Ladbrokes

Brandon Wu to win 1.13pm threeball
2pts 6-5 Hills

Keith Mitchell first-round leader
1pt each-way 60-1 bet365

Shane Lowry first-round leader
1pt each-way 55-1 bet365

Cognizant Classic first-round preview

The Champions Course at PGA National in Florida is a challenging assignment, with heavy bunkering and numerous water hazards, and it can become a nightmare for the PGA Tour's finest when the wind gets up.

Thursday looks set to be calmer than Friday, but early starters should be favoured in both rounds, and punters studying the Cognizant Classic first-round-leader options are advised to concentrate on the morning wave. Keith Mitchell and Shane Lowry stand out as the value.

Mitchell got off to a horror start in Mexico last week, going three over par through three holes, but carded 18 birdies from there to finish the tournament in 19th place. That followed 17th spot in Phoenix and the 2019 Honda Classic champion will be enthused by a return to PGA National. His Florida record is superb.

Mitchell tees off at 7.18am local time (12.18pm UK), while Lowry is out 11 minutes later, so expect early birdies in the morning calm. Florida-based Lowry was runner-up at PGA National two years ago and has always had a fondness for the layout.

Three first-round threeballs catch the eye, and steady, measured, typically accurate operators Brandon Wu, Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Alex Noren are fancied to keep their scorecards clean enough to outscore their playing partners.

Wu finished 14th in last year's Honda Classic and 13th in last week's Mexico Open. Peter Malnati is too loose to trust at PGA National, while Bud Cauley has only just returned to competition after more than three years out injured.

Bezuidenhout has a strong Florida record and has been solid this year. Expect the South African to boss Martin Laird and Ben Griffin, while Florida-based Noren has the experience and grit to handle a breezy PGA National much better than playing partners Kevin Yu and Carl Yuan.

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