After the annual PGA Tour trip to California and then a brief pit stop in Mexico, we're onto the Florida swing of the golf season, which of course begins at PGA National for the 2025 Cognizant Classic. Even better, beyond the late addition of Jordan Spieth to the field, this is one of the best fields the PGA Tour has seen for this tournament in quite some time. And frankly, getting that for PGA National is a treat for all golf fans.
We all know that PGA National, though not a long course, is one of the most demanding on the PGA Tour. Not only is accuracy or well-placed driving off of the tee crucial to success, but more so is the ability to be a top-notch ball-striker with approach play. The Bermuda greens and the angles of the course at the Cognizant Classic demand that but it becomes even more crucial with the windy conditions that always come around in the Florida swing.
So as we head into the start of the 2025 Cognizant Classic, rather than just power ranking the field based on everything, we're going to hone in on one key aspect, the aforementioned approach play. Specifically, we're going to look a the Strokes Gained: Approach numbers for every player over the past 12 rounds of measured golf on the PGA Tour and see who stands out in this field.
These are the SG: Approach PGA Tour Power Rankings going into the event at PGA National, with a look at a few of the players who cracked the Top 10.
PGA Tour Power Rankings based on recent SG: Approach numbers
PGA Tour Player | SG: Approach (Last 12 Rounds) | Best Finish in Last 12 Rounds |
|---|---|---|
1. Henrik Norlander | 1.337 | T13 (Mexico Open) |
2. Doug Ghim | 1.258 | T49 (WM Phoenix Open) |
3. Antoine Rozner | 1.200 | 4th (Commerical Bank Qatar Masters) |
4. Jackson Suber | 1.008 | T6 (Sony Open) |
5. Jake Knapp | 0.958 | T17 (Genesis Invitational) |
6. Joel Dahmen | 0.944 | T6 (Mexico Open) |
7. Brian Campbell | 0.940 | Win (Mexico Open) |
8. Nicolai Hojgaard | 0.862 | 8th (Mexico Open) |
9. Andrew Putnam | 0.861 | T25 (WM Phoenix Open) |
10. J.J. Spaun | 0.855 | T15 (Farmers Insurance Open) |
Jake Knapp heating up returning to Cognizant Classic?
After a blistering start to last season with three Top 5 finishes, including a win, over a four-start span, Jake Knapp lost his way a bit at the end of last season. Based on his recent approach numbers, though, it seems as if he's getting back into a groove, which is fascinating with this week's return to PGA National.
Knapp finished T4 at the Cognizant Classic a year ago with a stellar tee-to-green performance, gaining just under 7.5 strokes ball-striking (2.958 on approach) total over four rounds. With the way he's currently hitting his irons and wedges and with the way his length can allow him to overpower the course off the tee, he could well be one to watch this week.
Could lightning strike twice for Brian Campbell?
It was a true David vs. Goliath situation in the Mexico Open playoff with one of the shortest hitters in the field, Brian Campbell, against the young fireballer Aldrich Potgieter. But it was the approach play of Campbell that set him apart, gaining 5.87 strokes on approach, which is why he cracks the Top 10 of these PGA Tour Power Rankings by that metric.
At the same time, though, he now comes to PGA National, which should be a far more ideal fit for his game and not quite as demanding of his biggest weakness off the tee. It's always disconcerting to back last week's winner, but there is a case to be made for Campbell putting forth another strong showing at the Cognizant Classic based on his course fit this week.
Short game hurting the top approach players of late
Outside of Campbell, you probably notice that many of the best recent finishes for the Top 10 in recent SG: Approach aren't all that impressive. All you have to do, however, is look at the short game numbers to figure out why.
Henrik Norlander, Doug Ghim and Antoine Rozner have all been lsoing strokes putting over their last 12 rounds. It's been by far the worst for Ghim, who is losing an appalling 1.388 strokes per round with the putter. Around-the-green play isn't safe either, though, as Ghim, Rozner, Joel Dahmen, Nicolai Hojgaard and J.J. Spaun have all been losing strokes around-the-green over that same span as well.
If any of these guys can level out their short games at PGA National and perhaps a welcome switch to Bermuda greens, their approach play has undeniably been good enough for them to contend.