I Want To See Tour Players Make More Bogeys

As I was watching the Cognizant Classic last weekend, I found myself disappointed in the lack of carnage at PGA National.

For many years, PGA National was a reliable bringer of pain. From 2007 to 2020, the winner reached double-digit under-par just three times in the 14 years, which is pretty astounding.

Now it’s been six consecutive years with a double-digit under-par winner. Joe Highsmith reached 19-under in 2025 and then Nico Echavarria just won at 17-under this past week.

The course difficulty has gone from firmly in the top 10 to well outside the top 20.

There are some concrete reasons for this. PGA National has changed to overseed which is a fancy way of saying that it’s greener and softer than previous years. The once gnarly rough is much shorter and more forgiving than it was. And the tournament changed the par-4 10th into the par-5 10th, artificially boosting the under-par total by four strokes.

It’s clear there was a push to make the course easier. It’s a layout with a lot of water so that is understandable to a certain point.

But a week like this one underscores an issue I have with PGA Tour golf.

The winning scores 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 layout or setup so far.

These are the best players in the world so why aren’t we testing them like it?

Fans enjoy watching pros battle

I’m an advocate for balance in professional golf.

Of course, it’s fun to watch guys shoot 25-under. Seeing someone on 59 watch is enthralling.

That’s great for some tournaments. Maybe even the majority. I’m not advocating for that type of shootout to go away completely.

It just feels like every week is target practice. Like if a guy doesn’t shoot 68, he’s falling well behind the pack.

And, yes, there are reasons outside the Tour’s control why some of these courses are so gettable. As is the case with PGA National, they don’t own many of the venues. Different owners might want the course to look a certain way to drive more recreational play.

But a lot of times, the Tour is making setup decisions like cutting down the rough, slowing the greens or generally overwatering the course to make it softer.

Look no further than TPC Sawgrass—a course the Tour does own—where conditions have been getting progressively easier for the Players Championship since the move back to March.

The vast majority of Tour venues are following the Sawgrass lead and are not being set up for difficulty.

I would push for more struggle—particularly in more important events.

It’s one of the reasons the U.S. Open is so refreshing. If a guy has a three-shot lead, you never know what is 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 it.

It’s not all about the final score but it’s definitely about the test. Is their patience being tested? Are bad shots being punished?

I would watch more if those answers were a resounding yes.

The blurry line between great course and dramatic host

One thing I’ve wrestled with as a golf fan is that the Venn diagram of great courses and courses that produce dramatic tournaments don’t overlap as much as we would like them to. 

It’s not always the case but these harder venues often are creating more separation at the top of the leaderboard rather than producing great finishes.

I appreciate that. I like watching guys get tested.

The end result is often a boring back nine—but the path to reach that point is more enticing.

This is true of so many majors in recent memory. The U.S. Open hasn’t had a playoff since 2008, one of the signs that the top of the leaderboard tends to separate from the pack. 

And it’s hard to square 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 regularly attended Bay Hill as well. 

PGA National and Bay Hill did not take much design brilliance. No golf architect nerd would argue otherwise. They are your standard fare of Florida course built amongst real estate. Their primary design feature is, “Hey, here’s a ton of water and rough. Don’t hit it there.” 

Yet these courses somehow invite dramatic finishes year after year. We just saw it with Shane Lowry collapsing late on the Bear Trap.

Few players can get around unscathed so the leaderboard tends to congregate. As I mentioned, PGA National has gotten easier the past few years but Bay Hill is one of the least forgiving courses on Tour.

The rough is high and penalty areas are everywhere. 

Would I like to play Bay Hill? Nope. You can have my tee time. I’ll drive over to Winter Park 9 instead.

But watching the pros play Bay Hill? It’s not Augusta or Riviera but it is compelling TV to see them struggle so much, even if the reward/punishment scale for good/bad shots is far from perfect. 

I just want to see them uncomfortable mentally.

We’re in an era where there are very few ballbuster Tour 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 while not paying attention during my high school math class. 

If Bay Hill was soft and easy, I would be less likely to watch. It’s fun when the winner is 5-under every once in a while.

I say let’s bring some pain now and then.

Do you agree or disagree? Let me know below in the comments.

Top Photo Caption: Collin Morikawa hits a tee shot on the par-4 15th at Bay Hill. (GETTY IMAGES/Keyur Khamar)