Top-ranked defending champion Scottie Scheffler didn't hold back after Friday's second round at the PGA Championship, calling the pin placements at Aronimink "kind of absurd" and the toughest he's ever seen on tour. The world No. 1, known for his composure, was visibly frustrated as treacherous hole locations on the course's sloping greens, combined with gusting winds, left even the game's elite scrambling to stay afloat.
"This is the hardest set of pin locations that I've seen since I've been on tour, and that includes US Opens, that includes Oakmont," Scheffler said, referencing the notoriously difficult major venues. He even turned to veteran caddie Mark Fulcher, looping for playing partner Justin Rose, asking if he'd ever witnessed anything comparable. "They said maybe Shinnecock is the only place they have seen that has pins that could compare to this," Scheffler added, pointing to the course where he'll chase a career Grand Slam next month.
The challenging setup has kept the leaderboard tight, with no player able to break away from the pack. Scheffler explained the unique difficulty: "Here, it's like the green may slope all this way and then we put the pin down here and then there's also a slope this way. It's not as natural to the slopes that are there. There's a bit more that's manufactured into the greens, and it's just very difficult." He noted that getting the ball close to the hole and sinking putts becomes a monumental task with big slopes and wind, which explains why scores are hovering near par.
Scheffler fired a one-over-par 71 on Friday to stand at two-under 138 after 36 holes, a respectable score given the conditions. But he made it clear that the pin placements pushed the limits of fair play. "The one on 14 was probably the hardest pin that I've seen in a long time," he said. "There's literally just like a spine and they're like, 'Oh, we'll just put the pin right on top.'" For golf fans and players alike, this tournament is testing every ounce of skill and patience—and making for some unforgettable drama on the course.