‘One of the Craziest Pins That I’ve Seen’: Golf’s Goliaths Bemoan Aronimink’s Teeth

TL;DR

Golf professionals are expressing concerns about the challenging pin placements at Aronimink during the PGA Championship. Players like Jon Rahm and Tommy Fleetwood highlight the deceptive difficulty of the course despite its seemingly easy appearance.

Key points

Players are concerned about challenging pin placements at Aronimink.
The course appears easy but has deceptive fairways and tough rough.
Tommy Fleetwood highlighted the complexity of the greens.
Chris Gotterup noted the practice rounds felt easier than expected.

‘One of the Craziest Pins That I’ve Seen’: Golf’s Goliaths Bemoan Aronimink’s Teeth

Now comes the question that will define this PGA Championship: Will they have the guts to keep pushing the course to the limit?

PHILADELPHIA—Philly native A.W. Tillinghast once described one of his golf courses as a “coy but flirtatious maiden with mocking eyes flashing at you from over her fan.” He was talking about Merion, across town, but that is the perfect description for Aronimink. Much of the early week chatter at this PGA Championship centered on how the golf course was too pliable. “You're playing the practice rounds and every pin's in the middle of the green, so it looks easy and feels easier than it always is,” says Chris Gotterup, also noting that was no wind early in the week. Skratch’s Dan Rapaport went so far as to tweet that the course was “lovely” but “I think it’s going to get annihilated by the best players in the world.” The fetching maiden had set her trap.

Aronimink’s fairways look wide but have so much cant and pitch that many drives land in the short grass only to skitter into the rough, which is not that deep but plays deceptively tough. “It's such a thick blade of grass that, even when the lie looks okay, it catches you so bad,” said Jon Rahm, expounding on something the cognoscenti could not feel without a club in their hands. The greens are not terrifyingly fast but there has been so much talk of their vexing “spines” you would think they were designed by a chiropractor. “There are very, very few straightforward putts here,” said Tommy Fleetwood. “Sometimes it’s quite an adventure. You can have a 25-footer that is uphill/downhill with four feet of break. Good luck!”

I think that got to somebody in the PGA, and they did something about it.

During the first round, Aronimink more than held its own, despite being softened by rain; the overnight lead was a modest -3, aided by cool temperatures and a couple of edgy pin positions. The course tips the scales at only 7,237 yards but it’s a slightly deceptive number as the par-3s are so brutal that twice Stephan Jaeger had to reach for his 5-wood during the first round. “Earlier in the week there was some chatter where people thought 15- to 20-under was going to win,” scoffed Rahm after an opening 69 (1-under). “And I think that got to somebody in the PGA, and they did something about it.”

Q&A

What are the main challenges players face at Aronimink during the PGA Championship?

Players face deceptive fairways that can lead to tough lies and greens with complex pin placements, making putting particularly challenging.

Who described Aronimink as having 'vexing spines' on its greens?

Tommy Fleetwood described the greens at Aronimink as having 'vexing spines,' indicating their complexity and difficulty.

How did Chris Gotterup characterize the early practice rounds at Aronimink?

Chris Gotterup noted that the practice rounds felt easier than usual due to pins being placed in the middle of the greens and the lack of wind.

What did Jon Rahm say about the rough at Aronimink?

Jon Rahm mentioned that the rough at Aronimink is deceptively tough, with thick grass that can catch players off guard even when the lie appears okay.