Golf Should Be Enjoyable
“Golf should be a pleasure,” remarked Donald Ross, the designer of Aronimink. While a lovely thought, it was evident that many players in the PGA Championship didn’t seem to be having much enjoyment. Shane Lowry appeared frustrated after hitting his ball into the water at 17, and Scottie Scheffler nearly slammed his wedge on the sixth hole. Justin Thomas and Keegan Bradley also expressed their discontent, arguing with rules officials about being put on the clock for slow play.
Mixed Reactions on the Course
The only glimpses of pleasure seemed to stem from purists appreciating the exceptional lag putting, while others relished in the schadenfreude of watching top golfers experience the same frustrations as amateur players do on weekends.
Expectations vs. Reality
This tournament was highly anticipated, with over 60 years since a major was last held here. Many believed that modern players would perform exceptionally, with bookmakers predicting a winning score around 14 under par and some even suggesting a shot at the major record of 21 under set by Xander Schauffele in 2022. However, halfway through, a score of two under par was enough to keep players in contention, and anyone at three under was seen as a serious competitor heading into the weekend.
Challenging Conditions
Opinions varied as to the reasons for the difficulty. While some blamed the strong winds and cool temperatures, others pointed to the pin placements chosen by the tournament committee. “Most of the pins today were kind of absurd,” Scheffler mentioned following his round of 71, which included three bogeys in his first four holes. He noted that the pin positions were the toughest he had encountered on tour, likening them to those seen at US Opens.
A Noteworthy Challenge
Scheffler highlighted the 14th hole as particularly challenging, stating, “There’s literally just a spine and they’re like: ‘Oh, we’ll just put the pin right on top of it.’” This resulted in a two-putt par from an impressive 80 feet.
Top Contenders
Despite the challenges, Scheffler finished with a score of two under. He raised a valid question about whether such difficulty truly reflects the best test of golf, given his peers were mired in a tight points race all due to the numerous two-putts. At the top of the leaderboard, Alex Smalley and Maverick McNealy stood strong at four under, while Aldrich Potgieter from South Africa, who was having a solid day, ran into trouble with back-to-back bogeys at 17 and 18.
Looking Ahead
Contenders await the weekend, with Hideki Matsuyama just two shots back after a 67 and Chris Gotterup turning in the day’s best score of 65, tied with Min Woo Lee. Meanwhile, players like Scheffler, Cameron Young, Justin Thomas, and Ludvig Åberg are right behind tied in ninth. Rory McIlroy, on the other hand, is further down the leaderboard at one over, trying to recover from an earlier streak of bogeys. As the sun is projected to shine on Saturday, there’s hope for improved scoring as the weekend progresses.
