There are some notable names in the field for the Cognizant Classic at PGA National, including defending champion Chris Kirk and World No.2 Rory McIlroy. However, the appearance of Ryan Palmer will be particularly special as it marks the 47-year-old’s 500th PGA Tour start.
After making his first appearance at the 1998 US Open as an amateur, Palmer turned pro two years later and became a PGA Tour member in 2004. Since then, he has been one of the circuit's most hard-working players. Indeed, with the exception of the 2019/2020 season, which was cut short because of the Covid-19 pandemic, he is the only player since to make at least 20 appearances a season.
Over the years, Palmer has been rewarded for his efforts with several significant highlights, including four PGA Tour wins, most recently at the 2019 Zurich Classic of New Orleans alongside Jon Rahm. Overall, he has racked up 71 top-10 finishes and has been runner-up 11 times.
One of those near misses came at the 2014 edition of this week’s tournament, which was then named The Honda Classic, where he, McIlroy and Russell Knox were edged out in a playoff by Russell Henley.
He will be hoping to go one better this week and receive a payout of $1.62m to boost his $33m career earnings. Regardless of the outcome, Palmer’s appearance will see him become the first player to reach the milestone since Lucas Glover at last year’s Valero Texas Open.
While it will be a significant achievement, Palmer still has some way to go to catch the player with the most appearances. Mark Brooks, who claimed seven PGA Tour titles between 1988 and 1996, leads the way with 803.
