For those who take pleasure in witnessing elite golfers brought to their knees, the Philadelphia suburb hosting the PGA Championship has delivered a spectacle of humility. Few anticipated such a turn of events. Just days ago, Rory McIlroy expressed concern over the lack of strategic challenge at Aronimink Golf Club, while others lamented the absence of trees. The consensus was that the course was ripe for a beating. However, by the midway point of the second round, it became clear how mistaken they were.
Carnage Among the Early Starters
Images of the devastation were plentiful among the early starters. Justin Rose sent a drive careening behind the bins on the 13th hole en route to a round of 73. Matt Fitzpatrick endured a four-putt on the 14th, finishing with a 72. Shane Lowry, in a moment of sheer frustration, shanked his tee shot on the par-three 17th into a lake, reminiscent of a high-handicapper. He signed for a 76, falling from contention to four over par for the tournament. Lowry's thunderous expression mirrored that of many others.
Justin Thomas, a two-time winner of this championship, carded a second consecutive 69 to sit at two under, but was put on the clock and engaged in a heated argument with officials. Rounds are taking nearly five and a half hours, an absurd pace, but a testament to the difficulty. Scottie Scheffler, the world number one, started the day sharing the lead but quickly bogeyed three of his first four holes. He recovered to shoot a 71, leaving him two under, but broke his usual composure by criticizing the pin placements as the hardest he had seen on tour.
Controversial Pin Placements
The setup has drawn sharp criticism, particularly on the par-three 14th hole, where pins have been placed near the crests of extreme slopes. Scheffler described the pins as "absurd," noting that the one on 14 was especially severe due to a spine-like ridge. The course combines US Open-style rough, Open Championship winds, and fiendishly large greens that have produced more three-putts than Augusta National. Unkind and arguably unfair pin placements have exacerbated the challenge.
The early wave on Friday faced the toughest conditions, with winds gusting up to 30 mph. Chris Gotterup's 65 in the worst of the weather was exceptional, as was Hideki Matsuyama's 67, which left him at three under. Alex Smalley set the early clubhouse lead at four under with a 69. The later starters, including McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau, were expected to benefit from calmer conditions, but for those on the course earlier, survival was the priority.
Scheffler's Struggle and Recovery
Scheffler had been imperious in the first round, missing only one fairway and dominating on the greens. But his second round was far less functional. Starting on the back nine, he failed to hit a single fairway on his first six holes. Despite his reputation for emotional stability, Scheffler battled back, offsetting a bogey on the sixth hole of his inward half with birdies on the fourth and ninth. At two under, he had lost a stroke from his opening round but emerged from the harsh weather in strong shape.
Patrick Reed briefly threatened to join the leaders, reaching three under with a five-foot putt on the fourth. However, a bogey on the sixth was followed by eight consecutive pars. The 15th hole proved his undoing; his approach missed the green by two yards, burying in dense rough, and even his short-game prowess could not salvage a par putt inside 25 feet. A bogey ensued, followed by another at 16, and a round of 72 dragged him back to level par.
The second round of the PGA Championship at Aronimink has been a brutal test, exposing the vulnerabilities of the world's best golfers and sparking debate over the fairness of the course setup.
