There's something magical about the idea of two geniuses from humble Scottish and Irish roots meeting across time—and what a shame it is that Donald Ross never got to see Rory McIlroy play one of his classic designs.
Donald Ross, the brilliant golf course architect who started life in northern Scotland, crafted some of the most iconic courses in the world. His signature "risk versus reward" philosophy is baked into every hole, especially at suburban Philadelphia's Aronimink Golf Club, host of the 108th PGA Championship. If Ross could have watched McIlroy in action—flat cap askew, cigar in hand—he'd have seen a player who embodies that same daring spirit. The reigning Masters champion (twice over!) and two-time PGA champion doesn't just play courses; he attacks them, crushing drives over trees and hazards, charging at even the most elusive flagsticks.
McIlroy's swing is a thing of beauty—as meticulously crafted as Ross's par-3 eighth at Aronimink, a daunting 242-yard one-shotter over water that many consider among the best short holes Ross ever designed. It's the kind of hole that demands both power and precision, much like McIlroy's game itself.
Ross's passion for perfection never faded. He completed his initial design of Aronimink during the Roaring Twenties, but he kept tinkering through the Great Depression, World War II, and the Cold War. He died in 1948, four decades before McIlroy was born. But in his lifetime, Ross created more than 400 courses across North America, including some of the game's most beloved venues like Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina. Each one bears his unmistakable touch—a blend of strategic challenge and natural beauty.
If we could have raised Ross from the earth on a crisp September morning in 2018, he'd have seen McIlroy play the BMW Championship pro-am at Aronimink. Here's what the maestro would have witnessed: Rory and his amateur partners were even-par as they made the turn from the 18th green to the first tee. They'd negotiated the back nine first, teeing off at oh-dark-thirty—just as McIlroy prefers for practice sessions. The first tee at Aronimink sits on a mound beneath its Tudor Revival clubhouse, a modest setting for a player who was about to show the world what happens when genius meets genius, across time and across the fairway.