World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler has described the pin positions at the PGA Championship as the most challenging he has ever faced, even seeking confirmation from a rival's caddie. The defending champion's comments came after a difficult second round at Aronimink, where strong winds and tricky placements tested the field.
Scheffler's Surprising Admission
Following a solid three-under 67 in the opening round, Scheffler surrendered his share of the lead on Friday. He openly expressed his frustration with the pin locations, stating: "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."
The 29-year-old even questioned Justin Rose's caddie, Mark 'Fooch' Fulcher, about whether he had seen anything comparable. "I asked Fooch, who caddies for Justin Rose, he's been around a long time - and I asked Teddy too - have you seen anything like this before? They said maybe Shinnecock is the only place they have seen that has pins that could compare to this," Scheffler explained.
Unique Challenges at Aronimink
Scheffler highlighted the distinct difficulty of Aronimink's greens compared to other venues. "At Oakmont, their greens are extremely severe, but they're extremely severe in one direction. Here, it's like the green may slope all this way and then we put the pin down here, and then there's also a slope this way. It's not as natural to the slopes that are there. There's a bit more that's manufactured into the greens, and it's just very difficult."
The wind also played a significant role, causing delays and putting several players on the clock for slow play. Despite the conditions, Chris Gotterup managed to card a five-under 65, moving within one shot of the lead. However, he acknowledged the demanding nature of the course.
Gotterup's Perspective
"I don't think it's unfair, but I do think for pace of play and certain aspects, there have been a couple - you know, 14 today is probably aggressive, I will say. You're hitting a 4-iron to a 10-foot circle, and if it doesn't go there, it's off the green, and if you hit it 40 feet left, you have a very hard 2-putt," Gotterup said.
He added: "Yesterday I think hole 8 was probably pushing it a little bit. I hit 5-wood yesterday, and I hit 7-iron today. Granted, I don't know if they were expecting 30 mile an hour winds yesterday, but I also did shoot 5-under today. So I don't think it's unfair by any stretch of the imagination, but you're not going to get any 4-1/2 hour rounds out here if that's what's going to happen. Unfair, no, but tough to make birdies."
As the tournament progresses, all eyes will be on how the players adapt to these demanding conditions, with Scheffler's comments underscoring the severity of the test at Aronimink.
