What Is The Florida Swing?

With the PGA Tour concluding its month-long stay on the West Coast with Hideki Matsuyama's superb victory at the Genesis Invitational, attention soon turns to the next batch of events coming right around the corner. 

Following the Mexico Open, the Tour will move east to Florida for a four-tournament stay in the Sunshine State dubbed 'the Florida Swing'.

The most immediate change for players to get used to is a change of grass. Out in California, most courses are Poa annua which can make for a tough time on the green but out in Florida, where many of the world's top players are based, Bermuda grass is the norm. 

The warm-season turf is most associated with grain which can produce firm and fast courses but also make for some difficult chipping around the green.

The four events in Florida also begin the build-up to the Masters, the first men's Major of the year at Augusta National. Some players will like to play a lot of events in this period to ensure they are fully dialled in before Augusta, while others favour a more relaxed approach, not wanting to burn out by the time they reach Georgia in early April. 

Regardless, the Florida Swing should provide plenty of narratives as well as the chance for players to write their name into the history books by winning some of the Tour's most iconic events. 

Here's a look at the four events coming up in the Florida swing.

Cognizant Classic (February 29 - March 3)

The Florida Swing will kick off with a slightly different feel this year after Honda announced last year it would end its 42-year association with the Classic. 

In its place, IT services company Cognizant has stepped up to become the title sponsor of one of the Tour's longest-running events which is now held at PGA National in Palm Beach.

Best known for the Bear Trap, a daunting three-hole stretch comprising the 15th, 16th and 17th, the tournament was won last year by Chris Kirk who ended an eight-year winning drought in the process.

Arnold Palmer Invitational (March 7-10)

Hosted at Bay Hill, the Arnold Palmer Invitational is the second tournament in the Florida swing but the fourth Signature Event of the calendar year.

With an elevated purse and a smaller field, the tournament will play host to a star-studded field that was won last year by Kurt Kitayama who shot nine-under to to secure a one-shot victory over Harris English and Rory McIlroy. 

The winner also receives a red cardigan sweater, in memory of Arnold Palmer - a tradition that began with the 2017 tournament after Palmer died in 2016.

The Players Championship (March 14-17)

Often referred to as the 'fifth Major', the Players is the PGA Tour's headline event of the year. While it is not one of the Tour's Signature Events, the tournament at TPC Sawgrass is eagerly anticipated and attracts the best field and highest purse on the Tour. 

The event takes place in Ponte Vedra Beach and is known best for the iconic par-3 17th featuring an island green. Last year's tournament was won by Scottie Scheffler. 

Valspar Championship (March 21-24)

Closing out the Florida Swing is the Valspar Championship, played at Innisbrook in Palm Harbor. 

Taking place just a week after the Players, the tournament has sometimes struggled to attract a premier field but, historically, has more than made up for it with its fair share of thrilling finishes. 

Taylor Moore claimed a narrow victory over Adam Schenk last year and only one of the last nine editions of this event has seen the victor win by more than one shot.