Shane Lowry appears to have mixed feelings about the current setup at PGA National ahead of the Cognizant Classic this week.
It is a depleted field at the Cognizant Classic. It is the event that sits right in the middle of four signature events on the PGA Tour, so it is little surprise that many of the big names have opted to avoid the trip to PGA National.
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Shane Lowry is the second highest ranked player in the field, with the Irishman making a decent start to the PGA Tour season.
He also has plenty of happy memories of teeing it up at PGA National.
Shane Lowry suggests what he does not like about PGA National
Lowry has finished second and registered four top 11 finishes in his last four starts in Florida. Nevertheless, he would happily see changes made to the layout at PGA National.
Speaking ahead of Thursday’s opening round, the 2019 Open Championship winner insisted that he much prefers when the course is playing tough.
“Yeah, it’s a tournament I always enjoy playing every year. I live here now, so it’s a home event. I get to stay in my own bed, which is nice. I really like this golf course,” he said.
“I like that the rough is a bit thicker this year. It was a little bit too easy last year, I thought. I don’t want to exactly see 59s around here, but yeah, I hope the scoring is a little bit more difficult this year and it plays like it used to.
“Yeah, I don’t think it is that,” he added, when asked if it had returned to the same difficulty as a few years ago. “I think it’s probably going to play easier than that, which I don’t like. Look, I’m a member of a few courses down here, and all Bermuda, and the golf courses this time of year are incredible. The Bermuda golf courses down here are unbelievable.
“I feel like it’s going to look great on TV. It’s going to be lovely and green. It’s going to be amazing. But I probably would like to see a bit more of the old traditional setup. It is what it is this week, and you just have to deal with the cards you’re given.”
The winning scores at the Cognizant Classic since moving to PGA National
Before 2023, the lowest winning score at a Cognizant Classic held at PGA National was 13 under par. On that occasion, Camilo Villegas won by five shots.
There had been 10 winners who failed to reach 10 under par. But Austin Eckroat won on 17 under par in 2024, before Joe Highsmith went two shots better last year.
And of course, Jake Knapp shot a 59 at PGA National 12 months ago.
At a time when the tournament is fighting to attract notable names to the field, PGA National surely needs to play into its identity as one of the tougher stops on the calendar.