PGA National Overseeding Controversy
PGA Tour players continue voicing concerns that overseeding at PGA National has made the traditionally tough course too forgiving, reducing its challenge and altering competitive balance. The Tour was unable to convince PGA National not to overseed for the Cognizant Classic, continuing an ongoing debate about course setup standards.
The practice of overseeding involves planting cool-season ryegrass over the dormant warm-season Bermuda grass base. This is common in southern climates to keep courses looking green for television audiences, but it also results in softer, more receptive conditions from consistent irrigation. For players, this means less challenging lies in the rough and more forgiving surfaces around the greens. The impact on scoring at the Cognizant Classic has been dramatic. Between 2007 and 2020, only three winners finished with a score in the double digits under par. Since the overseeding and other course changes, the average winning score has jumped from -10 to -18, with a record 38 golfers finishing at -10 or better last year alone. Veteran players have been vocal about the changes. Billy Horschel pointed out that from 2020 to 2022, PGA National ranked as a top-10 hardest course on Tour, but in the last two years, its difficulty ranking has dropped into the 30s. Shane Lowry, who lives locally, noted, "It was a little bit too easy last year, I thought," expressing a preference for the challenge presented by the traditional Bermuda grass setup. The core of the issue lies in course ownership. While the PGA Tour's staff is typically responsible for tournament course preparation and setup, the final say at PGA National rests with its owners. Players like Billy Horschel have clarified that the Tour has tried to argue against overseeding but that the decision is ultimately "out of their hands."
