PGA Tour pros criticize easy course conditions at PGA National

PGA National’s Champion Course, home of the Bear Trap, used to be one of the most feared annual tests on the PGA Tour. That’s not the case anymore.

In the last few years, a major decision to maintain the course has thrown the course into disarray. The result? The winning scores in the Cognizant Classic have been on the rise.

And some PGA Tour veterans aren’t happy about it. Billy Horschel took to social media to voice his displeasure and explain who is to blame for the easy conditions at PGA National, while Shane Lowry opened up about the topic in his pre-tournament press conference.

Here’s what you need to know.

Why the Cognizant Classic’s winning score has skyrocketed

When the Cognizant Classic, then known as the Honda Classic, moved to PGA National’s Champion Course in 2007, it quickly presented a formidable challenge to the PGA Tour’s elite. Look no further than the winning points.

Mark Wilson won the inaugural PGA National Honda Classic with a five-under-par score. In the 2008 Honda, Ernie Else finished six under to take the trophy.

From 2007-2020, only three Honda Classics finished with double-digit win totals in the lower division. Camilo Villegas shot 13 under in 2010, five strokes better than runner-up Anthony Kim. Rory McIlroy reached 12 under for his 2012 victory, two shots better than partner Tiger Woods. Rickie Fowler matched McIlroy’s winning score in 2017 by an average of four shots. All other points wins during that period were single digits below the division.

But as a new decade begins, something has changed at PGA National. Suddenly, all points won were double digits under the division. Over the past three years, the problem has gotten worse.

Chris Kirk won the playoff in 2023, tying Eric Cole through 72 holes at 14 under. In 2024, Austin Eckroat shot to 17 under to win the Cognizant. Last year, Joe Highsmith shot a 19-under 265 to capture the win.

So what gives? According to several PGA Tour players, the culprit is the decision to maintain the course. While the PGA National installed Bermuda grass on its courses, as many Florida courses did, in recent years, Bermuda was dominated by rye grass in the winter.

While overseeding makes the course look better, it also makes it much easier for players to navigate difficult shots than if the grass was just Bermuda. That makes the risk of missing greens or fairways much more difficult.

As a result, players started dropping easily during the Cognizant Classic.

Billy Horschel blames PGA National for course management

Horschel, an eight-time PGA Tour winner, has plenty of experience playing PGA National on Tour. In his long career, Horschel has made 13 starts in the Cognizant Classic/Honda Classic.

In his first 11 PGA National events, Horschel’s best score was 7-under in 2017, which earned him a T4. His next best score during that time was 2 under.

But in 2024, Horschel reached the final 12 points under. However, unlike McIlroy in 2012 and Fowler in 2017, who won by the same score, Horschel finished T9, five shots off the lead.

On Wednesday, Horschel publicly shared his opinion on the recent PGA National changes on social media.

In responses to an X video discussing the Cognizant Classic and the PGA National, Horschel responded to a user who called the oversight of the Victory Course “disgraceful”.

In his response, Horschel laid the blame for the oversight issue at the feet of “the owners of PGA National.” According to Horschel, the PGA Tour would like the course to be managed, but it’s not up to them.

“Unfortunately, no [PGA] Travel mistake. The owners of PGA National do. “The Tour tried to say why it shouldn’t be managed but it’s finally out of their hands,” wrote Horschel.

He went on to say that the PGA Tour should strive for “total control” of host courses in the future.

“The 1st thing we need to do going forward is to make sure we have complete control over the setting of all the Tour courses,” he wrote.

Shane Lowry at PGA National: ‘It was a lot easier last year’

After several withdrawals before the tournament, Shane Lowry is arguably the biggest star still in the Cognizant Classic field. As a local resident, Lowry appreciates the event, its hosting and the ability to sleep at home and spend time with his family during tournament week.

He explained as much in his press conference on Wednesday at the Cognizant Classic. But he also spoke in detail about the conditions of light courses in recent years.

“I like the intensity this year. It was a lot easier last year, I think,” Lowry said. “I don’t want to see good 59s here, but yes, I hope that scoring will be more difficult this year and play as usual.”

Lowry explained that when he first moved to Florida, he found it difficult to adjust to playing on Bermuda grass, joking, “I wish I had been supervised at the time.”

Then a reporter asked Lowry how different the current PGA National setup is from his days of winning single-digit points.

“Yeah, I don’t think so. I think maybe – it’ll probably play easier than that, which I don’t like. I’d like to see – look, I’m a member of a few courses down here, and all of Bermuda, and the golf courses this time of year are amazing. The Bermuda golf courses down here are unbelievable,” Lowry said.

He concluded: “I feel like it’s going to look good on TV. It’s going to be lovely and green. It’s going to be amazing. But maybe I’d like to see more of the old traditional show. It is what it is this week, and you just have to deal with the cards you’re dealt.”

You can watch the opening round of the 2026 Cognizant Classic on Golf Channel starting at 2pm ET on Thursday.