Billy Horschel has become the latest name to express displeasure about the PGA National’s changes during the Cognizant Classic. The eight-time PGA Tour winner called out the overseeding of the greens at the course, which had skyrocketed the winning scores.

On Thursday, February 26, Billy Horschel carded a 2-under 69 in the opening round of the Cognizant Classic 2026. Following the first round, he was seven strokes behind Austin Smotherman, who shot a low 62.

Earlier, the PGA National used to have higher scores but the scores have reduced in the last few years after the management overseeded the roughs and fairways with ryegrass. Horschel had criticized the change last year, which he reiterated on Thursday as well.

“A few years ago the rough was longer and then they started cutting it down and then they overseeded the golf course. Listen, I think the Tour gets a bad rap, and it’s not anything against the owners of PGA National. I understand where they would want to overseed. People want it to look pretty on TV, and if it looks pretty on TV, maybe people will want to come play it.”

“But at the end of the day, as I’ve said for many years on the PGA Tour, towards our rules officials and towards the execs at the PGA Tour, I understand we are using a golf course that we don’t own a lot of times, and sometimes we’re at the discretion of what the owner wants to do. Obviously we give our opinion of what we think is best for the golf course and how they want to set it up and challenge it, but also, the owners have a say in it.”

Billy Horschel mentioned several other courses in Florida that are not overseeded, but also insisted that many didn’t opt to overseed. He also spoke about the change in scoring pattern at the Cognizant Classic over the years.

“I think when you look at the data, and I can pull it up on my phone, in ’20, ’21, ’22, there were three times in a row where it was a top-10 hardest golf course,” he continued. “I think it was like 4, 7, 6. Then it went to 12, and then the last two years it’s been in the 30s.

Some of it has to do with wind. There’s no doubt about it. If this place doesn’t blow, it’s very gettable. As Tour players have always talked about, it doesn’t matter how long the golf course is; if it’s no wind and it’s soft, we’re going to shoot a number,” he added.

When will Billy Horschel tee off at the Cognizant Classic, Round 2?

Billy Horschel is paired with Aaron Rai and Shane Lowry for the second round of the Cognizant Classic 2026. The trio will tee off on Friday, February 27, at 12:11 p.m. ET from the first hole.

Horschel is looking for his ninth win on the PGA Tour and his first in two years. The 39-year-old golfer has had a shaky start to the season, as he has yet to make a top-ten finish. He has missed two cuts in five starts, and a T27 has been his best result so far.