The Florida portion of the PGA Tour gets underway next week at the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches, and Rory McIlroy is in the field and is expected to play in the 72-hole event.

The Cognizant Classic is the tour's last full-field event before the Arnold Palmer Classic. The tournament was previously known as The Honda Classic, and McIlroy will be participating in the event for the first time since 2018. He won the Honda Classic in 2012.

“It’s always good to come back to a tournament where you’ve won and had success before, and even better when it’s a bit of a home game,” said McIlroy. “PGA National is a great test of golf, and the fan support and incredible crowds make for an exciting atmosphere throughout the week for the players.”

The Cognizant Classic marks the start of a four-week run of Florida tournaments for the PGA. Players will compete on The Champions Course, a par-70,  7,125-yard layout that is considered among the most challenging among PGA tournaments.

Rory McIlroy will be joined by Rickie Fowler in the field. Fowler won the event in 2017. Chris Kirk, who won the season-opening Sentry in Hawaii, returns and he will attempt to retain the title he won last year. Some of the other notable players in the field include Matt Fitzpatrick, Tom Kim, Shane Lowry and Min Woo Lee.

Kirk ranks fourth in the FedEx Cup Standings with 813 points. The only players ahead of Kirk at this point in the year are top-ranked Matthieu Pavon, second-ranked Scottie Scheffler and third-ranked Hideki Matsuyama. Rory McIlroy ranks 96th as he prepares for the Florida portion of the tour.