PGA Tour Cognizant Classic: How did opening Florida Swing event shake up the money list?

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 129^th to 14^th 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 36^th to 15^th and Bridgeman went from 128^th to 39^th. 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.