Scottie Scheffler criticises ‘absurd’ PGA Championship pin locations
World number one Scottie Scheffler has described the pin placements at the PGA Championship as “absurd” after battling extremely difficult conditions during his second round at Aronimink Golf Club.
The two-time Masters champion carded a one-over-par round on Friday to sit at two under heading into the weekend.
Strong winds gusting up to 20mph combined with a severe course setup by the PGA of America to create a gruelling test for the entire field in Pennsylvania.
‘Craziest pins I’ve seen’
The American star was left in complete disbelief upon reaching the par-three 14th green.
Organisers had positioned the flag on top of a sharp spine, leaving players with a remarkably small landing area to keep their golf balls close to the hole.
“That was one of the craziest pins I’ve seen,” Scheffler said.
“They put the pin on like this microphone, like it was just like a high point. I hadn’t seen anything like it.”
Despite the punishing layout, the 28-year-old managed to scramble for what he described as an extremely good par on his fifth hole of the day.
Comparisons to brutal Shinnecock
The current FedEx Cup champion even consulted Justin Rose’s caddie, Mark Fulcher, to ask if he had ever encountered a similar challenge on the circuit.
They concluded the extreme conditions mirrored Shinnecock Hills, a notoriously unforgiving venue set to host next month’s US Open.
“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.”
Scottie Scheffler
He noted that dramatic slopes and high winds made it exceptionally difficult to convert putts, leading to scores hovering remarkably close to par across the leaderboard.
A ‘different’ kind of test
While the reigning Olympic gold medallist stopped short of calling the Aronimink setup explicitly unfair, he admitted the experience was not entirely enjoyable.
“I truly believe they could have the winning score be whatever they want it to be,” he explained.
“Is that the best test? Who knows. It’s a different test.”
Meanwhile, fellow American Chris Gotterup defied the brutal conditions to shoot a five-under 65.
However, even the current round leader agreed that the pin positions bordered on the impossible, contributing to painstakingly slow rounds extending past five hours.