Golf's rarest club is making a surprise appearance at the PGA Championship, and it's helping a young contender make waves. Aldrich Potgieter, the Round 1 co-leader, has added a PXG 1-iron to his bag for Aronimink—a bold move that's already paying off as he sits tied for the lead after the first round and holds the solo lead early on Friday.

For those unfamiliar, a 1-iron is practically a unicorn in modern golf. With lofts around 17 degrees, it's notoriously difficult to hit, often described as "the club even pros fear." But Potgieter, a 20-year-old South African, is proving that this old-school weapon still has a place—especially on a course that's proving trickier off the tee than anyone expected.

Aronimink, hosting its first PGA Championship in 64 years, measures just 7,394 yards—short by today's major standards. Many players, including Rory McIlroy, predicted a "bomb-and-gouge" strategy: bash driver, then figure it out. McIlroy even said pre-tournament, "Strategy off the tee is pretty nonexistent. It's basically bash driver down there."

But those words came back to haunt him. McIlroy hit just 5 of 14 fairways in his opening 74, losing nearly half a shot to the field off the tee. Turns out, Aronimink's firm, undulating fairways are anything but forgiving. The average proximity difference between fairway and rough on Thursday was nearly six feet worse than the PGA Tour average—meaning missing the short grass is far more punishing than usual.

That's where Potgieter's 1-iron shines. While others spray drivers into trouble, he's using the long iron to keep the ball in play, threading it through narrow corridors and onto firm fairways. It's a throwback strategy that's working beautifully—and a reminder that sometimes, the oldest tools in the bag are still the best for the job.

Whether you're a weekend warrior or a gear enthusiast, Potgieter's success is a great excuse to revisit your own long-iron options. Sometimes, less loft means more control—and that can make all the difference when the pressure's on.