Joe Highsmith Makes History at Cognizant Classic with Rare Cut-Line to Victory Feat
Joe Highsmith made history at the 2025 Cognizant Classic at The Palm Beaches by becoming the first player in nine years to win after making the cut on the number. His crucial four-foot, seven-inch par putt on Friday kept him in the tournament.
Despite a poor warmup session, Highsmith shot a remarkable 7-under 64 on Saturday. He followed that with another bogey-free 64 on Sunday, finishing at 19-under par to secure his first PGA Tour victory.
His weekend performance was historic, posting the lowest 36-hole finish (128) in the tournament's 53-year history. Highsmith's putting was exceptional, making 231 feet of putts over the final two rounds, including seven birdie putts ranging from 14 to 35 feet.
"I feel like once I made it on the number, I knew I was going to go out early on Saturday, and that was going to be a good chance because the scores just get so much harder as the day goes on," Highsmith said after his victory.
The win earned Highsmith a two-year PGA Tour exemption and entries into prestigious tournaments including the Masters, PGA Championship, Players Championship, and Arnold Palmer Invitational.
The 24-year-old credited his success to a change in mindset and a new putter he added to his bag before the Farmers Insurance Open. He made just one bogey in his final 36 holes while navigating the challenging Bear Trap at PGA National.
The last player to accomplish the feat of winning after making the cut on the number was Brandt Snedeker at the 2016 Farmers Insurance Open, making Highsmith's victory even more remarkable.
"The putter for sure saved me. Every part of my game was really good today, but I made a lot of long putts. Those are just stuff that doesn't really happen too often, especially on greens like this," Highsmith reflected on his historic win.