Scottie Scheffler Makes Honest Claim About Aronimink Ahead of PGA Championship

Scottie Scheffler offered a detailed assessment of Aronimink Golf Club on Tuesday as players prepared for the 108th PGA Championship in Pennsylvania. The world No. 1 said the course could play like “two totally different tests” depending on weather conditions and setup decisions throughout the week.

Scheffler, who is defending the PGA Championship title he won at Quail Hollow last year, explained that soft conditions at Aronimink could reward power more than accuracy. The comments came as players and analysts continued discussing how the PGA of America has set up recent PGA Championship venues.

Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele, and several other top players are also among the favorites this week at Aronimink, where rain remains part of the forecast heading into the tournament. Scheffler said course firmness will determine whether precision iron play or an aggressive “bomb and gouge” strategy becomes the preferred approach.

Scottie Scheffler Explains How Aronimink Changes With Conditions

GettyScottie Scheffler of the United States

Scheffler said the layout becomes significantly different depending on whether the course plays firm or soft.

“If you look at this golf course specifically, between it being soft and firm, I think it’s two totally different tests,” Scheffler said during his pre-tournament press conference.

He explained that softer fairways and greens reduce the advantage of accuracy off the tee because players can recover more easily from the rough.

“Like if you’re looking at this golf course when it’s soft, I think there’s a lot of stuff you can kind of get away with in terms of like you can hit it pretty far offline,” Scheffler said. “And if you hit it really far offline when there’s no trees, you can just get to the crowd and then you have a cleaner lie than if you’re a yard or two off the fairway.”

Scheffler added that softer greens also favor distance-heavy strategies.

“With soft greens, you’re able to play a pretty simple strategy of golf where you can kind of play that sort of bomb and gouge type strategy, and that’s probably what works best,” he said.

The four-time major champion noted that thick rough alongside wide fairways can create an unusual balance where longer hitters are not heavily punished for missing fairways.

He contrasted that with firm conditions, which he believes would demand more precise ball striking.

“If you look at this golf course when it’s firm, the fairways are hard to hit, and then if you’re going to want to get the ball close to a lot of these pins, you’re going to have to be able to control your spin and control your distance really well,” Scheffler said.

He added: “There are certain spots on this golf course where I think it can get really challenging if it’s firm and fast.”

Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy Enter PGA Championship as Favorites

GettyRory McIlroy of Northern Ireland and Scottie Scheffler of the United States

Scheffler enters the PGA Championship after three straight runner-up finishes, including at the Masters and two PGA Tour signature events. Despite not winning during that stretch, he remains the top-ranked player in the world and one of the favorites at Aronimink.

Since the PGA Championship moved to May in 2019, the tournament has consistently been won by elite players. Recent champions include Scheffler, Brooks Koepka, Xander Schauffele, Justin Thomas, and Collin Morikawa.

McIlroy also arrives in strong form after winning another Masters title earlier this season. The Northern Irishman and Scheffler have combined to win six major championships over the past four years, although they have rarely found themselves in direct final-round battles.

According to data referenced by The Athletic contributor Justin Ray, there has not been a final round since the 2023 BMW Championship, where both Scheffler and McIlroy started within three shots of the lead together.

Scheffler addressed the growing attention around comparisons between the two players earlier this week.

“I would not say that it drives me,” Scheffler said when discussing rivalry talk. “My sources of motivation have always been internal.”

The PGA Championship begins Thursday at Aronimink, with Scheffler grouped alongside Matt Fitzpatrick and Justin Rose for the opening round. McIlroy will play with Jon Rahm and Jordan Spieth as the second major championship of the season gets underway.

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