NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. — There was a fairly common thought at the beginning of the week that Aronimink Golf Club wouldn’t present too much of a challenge to the best players in the world. A main character, like Augusta National during the Masters, this facility would not be.
Instead, there’s been a lot of walking back of those comments. A PGA Championship is being contested, yes, but it feels more like a U.S. Open set-up — with British Open weather through 36 holes, to boot.
The team at the PGA of America setting up this championship is not doing the field any favours so far.
Scottie Scheffler, the defending champion who is just two shots back of the lead heading into the weekend, asked two caddies in his group (who have been on the PGA Tour for three decades or longer) if they had ever seen pin locations as tough as they were Friday at Aronimink — and the answer was no.
“This is the hardest set of pin locations that I’ve seen since I’ve been on Tour, and that includes U.S. Opens, that includes Oakmont (last year),” Scheffler said. “It’s difficult to get the ball close to the hole. It’s difficult to hole putts, especially when you have big slopes and wind, and I think that’s why you see the scores so close to par.
“You just got to continue to try to hit good shots, and most of the pins today were, I mean, kind of absurd.”
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Heading into the weekend, Alex Smalley — who, prior to this week had played in the same number of majors as Scheffler has won — and Maverick McNealy share the lead at 4 under. McNealy had never been inside the top 25 after 36 holes at any point in his career at major championships.
There’s a six-way tie for third at 3 under, and one back, including Chris Gotterup, already a two-time winner on the PGA Tour this year. But recent success does not mean a golfer was immune to the challenge presented by this century-old club.
“Today would definitely be one of those days where I would be on the couch and I would be like how did he hit it there and how did he do this? And then you’re out there, and it just feels like it’s impossible,” said Gotterup, who, to his credit, made six birdies on Friday (tied for the most of anyone in the field alongside Canadian Taylor Pendrith).
There’s then a seven-way tie for ninth at 2 under, including Scheffler and Cameron Young, the game’s hottest player. A shootout is certainly set to break out this weekend, with 15 golfers within two shots of the lead. That breaks the record at the PGA Championship for the most that close to the top (the previous was 11, set 20 years ago) and is just the third-closest major in recorded history at the halfway point.
In all, there are 44 players within five shots of the lead — the most in PGA Championship history.
McNealy, who has been steady, if unspectacular, this season, made a birdie and an eagle on his first nine (the back) before catching fire on the front nine, going 3 under for his first five holes after making the turn. He gave two shots back in his final four holes but considering his major record to this point — his best was a tie for 18th at the Masters in April — he’s feeling well enough heading into the weekend.
“I somehow got a lot out of my game, and this is obviously new territory for me,” McNealy said. “And really excited to test my game in ways it hasn’t been tested before, and I think this is the next step for me as a professional is competing and playing well in this type of tournament.”
The last time the leader(s) after 36 holes of the PGA Championship were no more than 4-under par was in 2012 — which was won by Rory McIlroy. McIlroy fired a bounce-back 3-under 67 Friday and is at 1 over through 36 holes and is certainly not out of it at just five shots back.
While McIlroy, who went bogey free on Friday, said it’s been hard to make birdies, he did observe it’s likely the PGA of America has “used up” a lot of the harder hole locations already through the first two days.
“I think everyone’s got to feel like they have got a chance,” McIlroy said. “It’s bunched, but you get on a run with wedges on that front nine and you shoot 4-, 5-under and all of a sudden, you’re right in the thick of things.
“At five back I do feel like I’m right in the tournament, and that’s really what I wanted to do today was to just get myself back in it, and I feel like I’ve done that.”
Some of the best players in the game — like McIlroy and Scheffler — are near the top of the board. Some who are as keen as ever to make their first major splash are near the top of the board. The golf course is proving to be an elite test. And we’ve got spectacular weather on tap.
What more could you ask for heading into the weekend at a major? Instead of a main character, it’s a canvas being used for a masterpiece.