‘A F***ing Joke’: PGA Tour Roasted by Golf Fans as Cognizant Classic Opening Round Fails to Impress

Dark skies have been looming over the PGA Tour’s newly titled Cognizant Classic. Quite literally! For the previously known Honda Classic, the Thursday round was suspended because of the uncertain weather. And now metaphorically too, that applies; for one round in, the Tour has become a target for various sour remarks.

At the ninth event of the PGA Tour, the sponsor wasn’t the only change. The event changed the dynamics of the course as well! And the golf community hasn’t taken kindly to it. Adding on to the weather woes at PGA National, the revelation of the changes to the course has driven the golf world berserk!

The Cognizant Classic witnesses a 22 yard extension on hole 10

After the Thursday round at the Cognizant Classic concluded, the PGA Tour communication posted a tweet about the 10th hole on the PGA National. Per the tweet, the length of the hole has been increased by 22 yards; the hole is now 530 yd par-5, changed from last year’s 508 yd par-4. This has also caused the putting average at the hole to decrease. Compared to round 1 last year, it fell from 4.257 to 4.132.

Surprisingly, that wasn’t the only change. As Smylie Kaufman went on to point out on X, the roughs were shorter compared to last year, and even the fairway cut around the green appeared longer (although they were the same length as 2023). Moreover, the course played softer too.

But what prompted this change, though? Well, it certainly seems to many that it was done to make the course easier for the pros. And it has clearly helped. After Thursday’s round, a whopping 27 pros were under par.

While the changes certainly seemed beneficial to the pros who are on fire this week, the same effect hasn’t been felt in the golf community. The fans just can’t seem to understand why this course was made easier for them!

Netizens express their dislike of the PGA National’s revamp

The changes that the Tour made, which undoubtedly motivated the players, far from did so to the crowd. They felt like this move had robbed them of the tough plays that entertained the public. And through the various reposts and comments, they made their dissatisfaction known on X.

Read More: How to Watch Cognizant Classic 2024: TV Schedule, Live Streaming, and More

Being a bit more polite than others, this user pointed out that the change from par-4 to par-4 looks unusual. They addressed the Tour and said it seemed like a “wrong par, my guys.”

Some users were so infuriated with the revamp that they dubbed the Tour a “f***ing joke,” with one even suggesting the rollback needs to be implemented sooner.

This fan shared their disappointment over the changes claiming that no legit golf enthusiast wanted the course to be easier for the best players that play on the Tour.

Along with a flurry of slurs from others, one even asked the Tour to be ashamed of their actions. They called the change an “absolute disgrace” and called out the management.

The tweet had garnered several negative reactions from the crowd, and another claimed they were rightly so, so the PGA Tour promoting the changes wasn’t something they should be proud of, as per them.

One fan questioned the Tour’s rationale behind the change. They claimed that fans liked the event because it was “historically hard” for players.

It’s clear that, just like many other cases of late, the golf world does not see eye-to-eye with the Tour. Do you see their side of things, or are you too siding with the public on this? Let us know in the comments below.

Read More: The 2024 Cognizant Classic: Round 1 and 2 Tee Timings and Pairings