While watching the Cognizant Classic last weekend, I found myself disappointed by the lack of carnage at PGA National.
For many years, PGA National was a reliable bearer of pain. From 2007 to 2020, the winner reached under double digits only three times in the 14 years, which is quite surprising.
Now it has been six years in a row with a double-digit sub-par winner. Joe Highsmith hit 19-under in 2025 and then Nico Echavarria just won with 17 this past week.
Course difficulty has gone from firmly in the top 10 to well outside the top 20.
There are several concrete reasons for this. PGA National has changed in supervision, which is a fancy way of saying it’s greener and softer than previous years. The once abrasive rough is much shorter and more forgiving than it was. And the tournament changed par-4 10 in par-5 10th, artificially raising the total to four strokes below par.
Clearly there was a push to make the course easier. It’s a very watery layout, so it’s understandable up to a point.
But a week like this highlights a problem I have with PGA Tour golf.
Winning results this season? 16 under (Sony), 27 under (Palm Springs), 23 under (Torrey), 16 under (WM Phoenix), 22 under (Pebble), 18 under (Riviera) and 17 under (PGA National).
Not a single challenging plan or setup so far.
These are the best players in the world, so why aren’t we testing them like this?
Fans enjoy watching professionals battle
I am an advocate for balance in professional golf.
Sure, it’s fun to watch guys shoot 25-under. Seeing someone at 59 is fascinating.
This is great for OTHER USEFUL the tours. Maybe even most. I’m not advocating that kind of shootout disappear entirely.
It just feels like every week it is target practice. Like if a guy doesn’t shoot 68, he’s falling way behind the pack.
And, yes, there are reasons beyond the Tour’s control why some of these courses are so accessible. As is the case with PGA National, they don’t own many of the venues. Different owners may want the course to look a certain way to encourage more recreational play.
But many times, the Tour is making set-up decisions like reducing the rough, slowing down the greens or generally flooding the course to make it softer.
Look no further than TPC Sawgrass – a tournament course BEN itself—where conditions have become progressively easier for The Players Championship since its return in March.
The vast majority of tournament venues are following Sawgrass’ lead and not setting themselves up for difficulty.
I would encourage more fighting – especially in more important events.
It’s one of the reasons the US Open is so refreshing. If a guy has a three-shot lead, you never know what’s going to happen because bogeys (or worse) are very much in play on basically every hole.
These are the best players in the world, so let’s test them like him.
It’s not just about the final score, it’s definitely about the test. Is their patience being tested? Are bad shots punished?
I’d look more closely if those answers resonated yes.
Blurry line between great course and dramatic host
One thing I’ve struggled with as a golf fan is that Venn diagram of courses and great courses. that produce dramatic turns not overlap as much as we would like.
It’s not always the case, but these tougher spots often create more splits at the top of the leaderboard instead of producing great finishes.
I appreciate it. I love watching guys get tested.
The end result is often a dull nine – but the path to that point is more enticing.
This is true of so many majors in recent memory. The US Open hasn’t had a playoff since 2008, one of the signs that the top of the rankings tend to be separated from the pack.
And it is hard to understand that with the two golf courses we see to start the Florida Swing.
Look, I’m from Florida. The Honda Classic (now the Cognizant Classic) was my hometown event that I went to every year. I also attended Bay Hill regularly.
PGA National and Bay Hill didn’t get much design shine. No golf architect moron would argue otherwise. They are your standard Florida course fare, built in the middle of real estate. Their main design feature is, “Hey, here’s a ton of water and rough. Don’t hit it there.”
However, these courses invite somewhat dramatic endings year after year. We just saw it with Shane Lowry going down late in the Bear Trap.
Few players can move unscathed, so the leaderboard tends to stack up. As I mentioned, PGA National has gotten easier in recent years, but Bay Hill is one of the least forgiving courses on Tour.
Rough is high and penalty areas are EVERYWHERE.
Would I like to play Bay Hill? No. You can have my tea time. I’ll go to Winter Park 9 instead.
But watching the pros play Bay Hill? It’s no Augusta or Riviera, but it’s compelling TV to see them fight so hard, even if the reward/punishment scale for good/bad shots is far from perfect.
I just want to see them mentally uncomfortable.
We are in an age where there are very few ballbuster tournament courses out there. Not enough, I say. Bay Hill is one that works effectively, even if the course looks like something I would have designed without paying attention in my high school math class.
If Bay Hill was bland and easy, I’d be less likely to watch it. It’s fun when the winner is 5-under every now and then.
I say bring a little pain every now and then.
Do you agree or disagree? Let me know below in the comments.
Main photo caption: Collin Morikawa hits a shot on the par-4 15th at Bay Hill. (GETTY IMAGES/Keyur Khamar)
