NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. — The world's best golfers voiced frustrations on Friday at the PGA Championship, with Scottie Scheffler leading the charge against what he described as excessively difficult pin positions at Aronimink Golf Club.
Scheffler's Sharp Critique
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler shot a one-over 71 but spent more time discussing the course setup. "This is the hardest set of pin locations that I've seen since I've been on tour, and that includes U.S. Opens, that includes Oakmont," he said. "Most of the pins today were, I mean, kind of absurd. The one on 14 was probably the hardest pin that I've seen in a long time just because there's literally just like a spine and they're like, 'Oh, we'll just put the pin right on top of it.'"
Scheffler's complaints were delivered in good spirits but underscored a broader sentiment: the combination of severe undulations and tricky hole locations has made Aronimink a punishing test. He elaborated on the par-4 10th hole: "I got a green that goes like down right-to-left into a valley, up left-to-right, back right-to-left, and then the pin is quite literally, if I hit that chip shot and the pin's here and it goes to there, it goes all the way over the back of the green, and now I have a very, very difficult up-and-down for bogey."
Bunched Leaderboard and Slow Play
Despite the grumbling, the tournament has produced a tightly packed leaderboard. After the first round, 33 players were within two shots of the lead—a major championship record. Justin Thomas, who shot a one-under 69, noted, "I've never seen a leaderboard like this in my life, so bunched." He attributed the difficulty to windy conditions: "It can be so hard to make birdies when it's as windy as it was yesterday and this morning."
Slow play also drew ire. Thomas, Keegan Bradley, and Cameron Young were put on the clock on Friday. Thomas defended his pace: "We just didn't really agree with it. We weren't holding up the group behind us." He added, "I'm not going to rush and hit a shot that isn't right." Canadian Nick Taylor noted frequent 20-minute waits on some holes, calling it "not a great setup" for momentum, especially on a long par-3 in cool, windy conditions.
Meltdowns and Missteps
The week has seen its share of incidents. On Thursday, Jon Rahm angrily swiped at thick rough, sending a chunk of turf into a volunteer's face. He apologized sincerely, and the matter was resolved. On Friday, Garrick Higgo was penalized two strokes for being late to the first tee, offering memorable excuses: "I was obviously there on time, but late" and "One second is tough to define."
Course Setup Under Scrutiny
Canadian Corey Conners, who followed a 68 with a 73, admitted surprise at the difficulty: "In the practice rounds I knew they had pins in bowls and centres of the greens, but I thought the course was more gettable. It's definitely surprised me how difficult it's playing, but I think the wind has been a big factor and some tricky pin positions."
Scheffler summed up the sentiment: "I truly believe they could have the winning score be whatever they want it to be. Is that the best test? Who knows. It's a different test." Despite the complaints, the tournament promises an exciting weekend, with a tightly bunched field and a challenging layout that will test the world's best.
