McIlroy Plans to Bash Driver at 180-Bunker Aronimink for PGA Championship

11 articles · Updated · golfchannel.com · May 12

Aronimink’s wide corridors have Rory McIlroy expecting a simple PGA Championship plan: hit driver aggressively, then rely on precise approaches and lag putting to avoid short-siding and downhill putts.
The 4-time major winner said a scouting trip showed the course should play far differently from the rain-softened 2018 BMW Championship, with 180 bunkers and green complexes placing more emphasis on angles and hole locations.
McIlroy skipped the RBC Heritage, Zurich Classic and Cadillac Championship to prepare, choosing practice and a day trip to Aronimink after a White House state dinner invitation complicated his original schedule.
That advance work also let him arrive this week without rushing after a T-19 at Quail Hollow, reinforcing a preparation routine he said has often paid off before majors, including this year’s Masters.

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