Billy Horschel wasn’t very happy after the first round at the Cognizant Classic. Not that he played bad; Horschel carded 5-under 66 to tie for 16th after the first round. Other than a lone bogey on the par-4 (his 11th), the veteran played flawless golf. Nevertheless, the eight-time PGA Tour winner expected and perhaps would’ve preferred if the scoring was a bit tougher. 

So said Billy Horschel: “It’s just a little disappointing because it’s such a great test of golf, and like I said, the conditions, no wind, we’ve had rain this week, which makes it softer.” Horschel’s premonition might very well be proven true. The scoring average after the first round, a staggering 3.32 under par, is a shocker. For comparison, Sports Illustrated reported that the easiest course, TPC Craig Ranch, averaged 2.76 strokes under par. 

Jake Knapp carded a 59, but the average low score has surprised most pros. Michael S Kim, who went bogey-free to post 6-under 65, joked, “Big rye overseed and no wind make this course much easier but did not think I’d be 6 shots back after a 65.” It makes sense because 6-under was the winning score for the week only five years back. Not a surprise that one PGA Tour called it ‘dumb’.

This year, only five of the 18 holes played over par and none more than the par-4 6th at +0.340. Even the notorious Bear Trap, a nightmare for pros at one time, has lost its teeth. Only the 15th played over par (+0.060), but the 16th & 17th played under par at -0.060 and -0.080, respectively. 

Similarly, the 11th once used to strike fear among pros because of the water hazard to the left. Then the green rolled toward the water, making calculative shots a must. This year, 29 birdies were made at the 11th. It’s not a surprise that players like Joel Dahmen are ‘missing’ the old PGA National. Some are frankly baffled that PGA National has come to this. 

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Joel Dahmen carded 3-under 68 yesterday. He is nowhere near contention, though – tied at 48th. It won’t be surprising if the projected cutline moves to 4 or 5-under after the second round. “I miss the old PGA National,” tweeted Dahmen. Speaking after the round, Daniel Berger commented that the Bear Trap is not what it used to be. Berger posted 8-under for a tied second. 

But Jordan Spieth, making his debut at the PGA National, gave away the real reason. The three-time major winner explained, “I didn’t realize that it was overseeded, and the fairways being overseeded changes it a lot because it’ll make the fairways softer which makes them wider, and then around the greens it’s significantly easier than the dormant Bermuda. You’re looking at easily a stroke a round on just the change in the grass types in the fairway.”

Traditionally, Florida courses feature Bermuda grass, which makes chipping and pitching significantly harder. Bermuda grass has wider blades, which slow the clubhead when your ball is stuck underneath the grass. It makes putting even more unpredictable. But the PGA National was overseeded with ryegrass, which played to the players’ advantage. On top of it, there was rain, which made the green softer. So, you have a 59 and a bunch of low scores at a turf that was once one of the top-ten challenging courses on the Tour. No wonder that some are missing the old PGA National.