Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy have made their feelings clear about the conditions at Aronimink for the PGA Championship
The PGA Championship has published its pin sheet for the third round of the tournament after Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy criticised the challenging setup at Aronimink. Scheffler claimed the conditions were the toughest he had ever encountered, and even approached Justin Rose’s caddie to express his concerns after posting a one-over on Friday.
The round was plagued with pace-of-play problems throughout, with the greens proving virtually unplayable. McIlroy, who recovered from a disastrous opening round, shared the world No.1’s view, who now finds himself in ninth despite starting day two as the leader.
“This is the hardest set of pin locations that I’ve seen since I’ve been on Tour,” Scheffler said. “And that includes U.S. Opens, that includes Oakmont. I did ask, 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.
“And like it’s not as, how would you say, natural to the slopes that are there. There’s a bit more, I think, that’s manufactured into the greens, and it’s just very difficult.
“There’s also just some things that are out of your control. You just got to continue to try to hit good shots, and most of the pins today were, I mean, kind of absurd.”
The PGA of America published its pin sheet for day three in the early hours of Saturday, with the pins positioned tightly once more. It leaves Scheffler and McIlroy with considerable ground to make up, as they attempt to reel in leaders Maverick McNealy and Alex Smalley.
Speaking following his round on Friday, the Masters champion said: “It’s been hard to make birdies out there because obviously, one, the wind the last couple days, but also where they have put these hole locations.
“I feel like they have really tried to protect the course the first couple of days. So it seems like they have used up a lot of the really hard ones.
“So depending upon a little bit calmer conditions and maybe a couple more favorable hole locations, I think guys that have, that are just here for the weekend feel — I think everyone’s got to feel like they have got a chance.
“Yes, there’s — it’s bunched, but you get on a run with wedges on that front nine and you shoot 4-, 5-under and all of a sudden you’re right in the thick of things.
“At five back I do feel like I’m right in the tournament, and that’s really what I wanted to do today was to just get myself back in it, and I feel like I’ve done that.”
