Scheffler Blasts PGA's Hardest Pins at Aronimink as 20 mph Winds Push Rounds Past 5½ Hours
Updated
Updated · ESPN · May 15
Scheffler Blasts PGA's Hardest Pins at Aronimink as 20 mph Winds Push Rounds Past 5½ Hours
13 articles · Updated · ESPN · May 15
1-over 71 left Scottie Scheffler at 2 under for the tournament, and the world No. 1 said Friday's setup featured the hardest pin locations he has seen on Tour, including majors and Oakmont.
20 mph gusts amplified the PGA of America's aggressive hole placements, especially the 215-yard 14th, where Scheffler called the pin "craziest" and said many locations were "absurd."
5-under 65 from Chris Gotterup was the week's low round, but even he said the pins were near impossible; rounds stretched beyond 5 hours, 30 minutes and the leaderboard stayed unusually packed.
Justin Thomas said he had never seen a leaderboard so bunched, while Scheffler argued tight scoring does not necessarily mean a better test as officials decide whether to ease conditions for the weekend.
21 under and 11 under won the last two PGA Championships, but Aronimink's harsher setup could produce a far higher winning score if the PGA of America keeps the pressure on.
As pin locations become more extreme, is championship golf becoming more a test of luck than skill?
Is Aronimink's 'absurd' setup the new blueprint for challenging golf's elite?