Justin Thomas and Billy Horschel push back on PGA Tour issue: "We've always had this"

Billy Horschel and Justin Thomas have pushed back on the notion that the PGA Tour is being split in two. 

The North American circuit heads to PGA National this week for the Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches. 

But the $9.6m stop is being played after a busy stretch in which two signature events were played in California. 

And with next week's Arnold Palmer Invitational and The Players Championship on the horizon, several big names have decided to take a break to re-charge their batteries. 

Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy are absent. 

Last week's winner, Jacob Bridgeman, world number 11 Ben Griffin, and former Masters champion Adam Scott were in the field but were among the late withdrawals. 

Horschel and Thomas both spoke about the topic after their TGL matches on Monday and the duo explained the issue of "weaker" fields existed before the creation of signature events.

The PGA Tour hasn't officially created divisions, but since launching the lucrative, limited-field events it has faced strong criticism from players, pundits and even fans that the structure effectively creates a two-tier system. 

Horschel said: "Listen, it's tough with any tournament on the PGA Tour schedule, outside of signature events, due to a multitude of reasons.

"We had this issue before the signature events were around. We've always had this issue.

"A decade ago this event was unbelievable with the field, but where it fell in the schedule was really good for a lot of the guys that lived here. It wasn't on the back end of an LA or a Riviera.

"This field has sort of been up and down the last couple years. When you've got so many events on the PGA Tour schedule and you've got guys trying to figure out where they're going to fit, it's tough to fill a field.

"It's just tough. It's [not just] Cognizant; there's a whole bunch of other tournaments that are struggling."

Thomas explained that part of the problem, for him, is that he's unable to play four tournaments in a row. 

"I mean, there's obviously a lot of arguments or a lot of different reasons, I guess," he said. "But... it's a bummer.

"It's one of those events that it has fallen at an unfortunate time in the schedule. 

"I think it's both a great thing and a bad thing of our schedule, how great it is and the amount of great golf courses that we go to.

"It kills me that I can't play Torrey Pines every year. Like Torrey Pines South to me is such a great golf course. It fits my eye so well. I like the North Course, but I can't play in it every year.

"Or Colonial is an event in the past where - I love Colonial. I think that golf course is incredible, but I can't play four or five in a row. It's unfortunate.

"It's a great, great problem to have, but it's just one of those things the way that guys need to play certain events or feel like they give themselves the best opportunity to win and make the most points as possible. 

"It's just kind of where it falls kind of thing."

Brooks Koepka headlines the field this week at PGA National. 

The 35-year-old is making his third start since making a return to the PGA Tour following his exit from LIV Golf. 

On Tuesday, the PGA Tour announced the beneficiaries of Koepka's $5 million charitable donation, as outlined in the terms of his return