How hard is Aronimink for the PGA Championship? That depends on the pins

Q: What makes Aronimink difficult for the PGA Championship?

Aronimink's difficulty stems from challenging pin placements, undulating greens, and windy conditions that complicate shot control.

Q: How have players performed at Aronimink during the PGA Championship?

Players have struggled with high scores and frequent three-putts, with some noting that certain pin placements made it nearly impossible to get close to the hole.

Q: What did Scottie Scheffler say about the pin placements at Aronimink?

Scottie Scheffler described some pin placements as among the craziest he's seen, indicating they significantly impacted scoring opportunities.

Q: How do pin placements affect scoring at the PGA Championship?

Pin placements can drastically influence scoring, with tougher locations leading to higher scores and more difficult approaches for players.

NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. (AP) — Scottie Scheffler had just made three bogeys on the first four holes of his second round at the PGA Championship when he he stood on the tee at the par-3 14th hole at Aronimink and looked at a yellow flag that boggled his mind. The pin was tucked all the way back and to the right of the 215-yard hole, behind a bunker. A cold wind was in his face and the hole was atop a ridge at the highest point of the green. Three bogeys in four holes caused enough stress. And now this. “That was one of the craziest pins that I've seen,” Scheffler said. “Your ball wasn't going to roll off like 50 yards away. But that was like they put the pin on this microphone, like it was just a high point. I hadn't seen anything like it." His tee shot found the middle of the green, well below the ridge, just under 80 feet away. He lagged that to 3 feet for a par. Given his start, it was as important a par as he made all day. “Extremely good,” Scheffler said. The PGA Championship hasn't seen leading scores this high through 18 and 36 holes since Oakland Hills in 2008. Players were three-putting roughly 6% of the holes on Friday. The wind is difficult, sure. A relatively dry week makes it firm and fast and harder to control shots. But it's the greens, undulating with knobs and valleys, and the locations of the pins that have been a real monster. “There were some pins that didn't even look like they were on the green,” Chris Gotterup said after his 65, the low round of the championship. The 11th hole was a popular reference. The green already had everyone's attention at the start of the week because of the severe false front that sent golf balls some 40 yards down the fairway. On Friday, the hole was on a small shelf front and to the right. Players hit a nothing more than a wedge. If anyone was closer than 8 feet — usually a stock shot with a wedge for the world's best — consider it a happy accident. “Impossible to get close,” Gotterup said. Justin Thomas tried to lay back off the tee for a full sand wedge from 124 yards. That didn't work out for him. He tried to be so exacting, but it came up short and in a bunker. The next one didn't get on the green. He had to scramble for bogey. “It's not hard to hit it to 20 feet past the hole, but it’s really, really hard to hit it close,” Thomas said. "I think that’s a great example of if you have a great number and a full wedge that you can spin it and hit it close, great. But you don’t want to try to do too much and try to hit it close — kind of like I did there — and the wind knocks the ball right out of the air and doesn’t even come close and I’m grinding to make a 5 when I have a sand wedge in my hand. “So it just kind of speaks volumes to how this course can be throughout the entire day.” It's been that way for two days. It doesn't take much for the PGA of America to set tough pins that will affect the scoring. Not all of them are brutal. The opening two holes Thursday were accessible. The pin on the par-5 ninth was on the easier side. The par-3 eighth hole was tucked behind a bunker, but the tee was moved up 72 yards to play at only 173 yards on Friday. Gotterup hit a 5-wood on Thursday and made bogey. He 7-iron to 4 feet on Friday for birdie. Scheffler had 140 yards on the second hole to a back right pin. He hit it to 30 feet and was pleased. He had the same yardage two holes later to a more accessible pin and went after it, the shot settling 5 feet below the hole for birdie. It's about picking the right shot for the right pin. And it changes by the day. “I love hard tests of golf, but it’s also the hardest game in the world and we’re trying to make it harder, and there’s different ways you can do that,” Scheffler said. “You can do that on a golf course like this. I mean, I truly believe they could have the winning score be whatever they want it to be. It could be over par if they want it to be, just based purely upon pin locations.” \\_ AP golf: