Scottie Scheffler says the PGA Championship course is ‘absurd’ because of the ‘unfair’ playing conditions.
Scottie Scheffler had a tough second round at the PGA Championship on Friday, shooting one over par and bringing his total to two under going into tomorrow’s play. As the world No. 1, he slipped down the leaderboard after starting strong on Thursday.
Scottie struggled early on with three bogeys in the first four holes, fighting against both the tough weather and his own nerves. Despite that, he managed to calm down and get back on track.
He said the pin locations this year are the hardest he’s ever seen on the PGA Tour. “These are the toughest pins, even tougher than U.S. Opens and Oakmont,” he shared. He also talked to a couple of experienced caddies who agreed that only Shinnecock might come close to this level of difficulty.
“It’s really hard to get the ball close to the hole, and tricky to make putts with all the slopes and wind. That’s why the scores are so close to par,” Scottie added.
At 29, he gave his take on why Aronimink’s greens are so challenging. Unlike other courses where the steep slopes all go one way, here the slopes go in different directions with pins placed in tricky spots. He described it as having “manufactured” angles that don’t quite follow the natural curves of the course, making it extra tricky to read.
Many players found the conditions tough, not just Scottie. But he said it wasn’t unfair, explaining that the only time golf feels unfair is if the wind starts blowing the ball off the greens — and thankfully, that hasn’t happened yet. He’s hopeful the wind will calm down as the week goes on, making things a bit easier for everyone.