Sarnella
What the touring pros think and what any of us think are two entirely different animals.
The average touring pro could show up at any of our courses and shoot 65, sight unseen. The test administered for a pro tournament should be graded a bit higher as it relates to standard of play at that level.
Having said that... these guys are good enough (or should be) to overcome what appears to be a fairly straightforward layout, if they play reasonably well that week. Some players like more definition and boundaries of having to hit to a specific target. Some prefer the freedom of exactly the opposite.
It's why some guys do well at the British Open, and some do not.
Kuchar did well at the most recent British Open, but his results through his 13 starts at the British throughout his career total have him making the cut little better than half the time.
I can see why he's not overly fond of the layout. He fares better on tighter courses, and his record shows that.
But overall, I think there's enough reason to give the new layout for the Byron Nelson a chance. It's not gonna suit every player's scoring eye. Hell, look at how many times Tiger won on the same layout back in his prime... he had a reputation for determining his yearly competitive schedule based on how well he played certain layouts.
He damn near made the career money list at Bay Hill alone.