Scottie Scheffler plays the par-4 14th Monday
Gray skies and cool temps did little to deter players from getting a first look at Aronimink. A significant chunk of the field could be found out testing Donald Ross’s marvelous greens, while late afternoon contestants got to test the 108th PGA course under crystal clear blue skies and crisp temperatures.
But unlike last year, where players were almost too familiar with Quail Hollow, the word is clearly out: local knowledge and managing the tight-mow bent surrounds will be essential to the week.
“The green complexes is the biggest thing,” said 22-1 shot Matt Fitzpatrick after his practice round. “I look at the golf course that I just played, and it definitely favors length off the tee because a lot of the bunkers will be taken out of play.”
Instead of dialing in numbers on the range as agents block the view of spectators, contestants treated the very solid day one turnout to plenty of on-course play.
A few players labeled the old school push-up greens “soft.” I didn’t get that underfoot feeling. While the greens are holding shots, there is an audible thud when approaches land, followed by decent first bounces. So if we can avoid Wednesday night’s rain (forecast update later in this edition), Aronimink’s artfully crafted and restored greens should only get feistier as the week progresses.
Here are my first impressions of the build-out and meticulously prepared course, followed by a few videos addressing the most pressing course setup topics from The Quad’s Course Preview.
The arena. A bowl setting features holes on the outer rim and others converging at the base, setting the PGA up for plenty of roars through the property.
Ideal spectating. I can’t speak to the fan process of getting to Aronimink, but the proximity of tees and greens means there are several fun spots for a spectator to see action on several holes. A few grandstands offer views of multiple holes, so I’ll try to highlight some of those on video for those coming out to the 108th.
Solid first day attendance. Even on a pretty “eh” day with declining secondary market prices, Monday featured good-sized and enthusiastic galleries. The fans brought a welcoming energy, including wee lad who tried three times to welcome Scottie Scheffler to Pennsylvania. I bet he has better luck with Rory.
The par-4s. Since my memories of the place consist of trees, shade, and shrunken greens, I came in buying the narrative that there is a sameness to the two-shotters. I just don’t see it. The bunkering can look excessively redundant from above, but holes like Nos. 2, 6, 10, 12, 13, 15 and 18 are quite varied and have distinctive green complexes. No. 11 needs further study to find more than one usable hole location. (Tuesday’s project.)
The par-3s. They’re all set up at least 25 yards too long for the greens in question and to bring out overly aggressive plays. Each of the downhill one-shotters look more enticing to take on a hole location from farther up. Yes, a few tees will be moved forward based on the practice round setup. But expect players to gripe about the silliness with the scorecard yardages. They won’t be wrong. Just because a hole is shorter doesn’t mean it will be easier. At the scorecard yardages, the 5th, 8th, 14th and 17th are generally best played to the center of the green. Yawn.
Criss-cross. The ninth and 17th tee shots play through each other. It’s odd but we did that at Southern Hills and it worked out four years ago. I’ll have a video on this tomorrow.
Hole numbers and names. I haven’t seen this grandstand presentation before and, combined with other nice touches playing off the PGA’s blue-and-white color scheme (mercifully crowding out the drab gold), the build-out feels big, fresh and lively.
Here’s a look at a couple of key holes mentioned in The Quad’s Course Preview: the drivable 13th and par-3 fifth.
For you rough harvest lovers wondering if Aronimink’s crop will lead to a high winning score, I have bad news: it’s about 2-3 weeks away from inflicting the pain-inducing punch Pennyslvanians seem to adore. I love that the rough is producing a mix of lies:
Here’s a look at a couple of key holes mentioned in The Quad’s Course Preview: the drivable 13th. Thankfully, there will be no chintzy OB stakes left of the 13th. There is a boundary fence and it’s not ideal if it acts like an outfield wall. But it’s way better than the feared row of stakes. The 13th is also a nifty hole that will reward a super shot for those having a go when the tees are moved up: