Aronimink Golf Club played more like a U.S. Open setup Thursday, with Rory McIlroy, Bryson DeChambeau and others fighting to survive.
The PGA Championship opened Thursday at Aronimink Golf Club, and it didn’t take long for players to realize this wasn’t going to be a birdie-fest.
Cold air, thick rough, firm greens and swirling wind made the Newtown Square, Pa., course feel more like a U.S. Open test than a May major.
Among the early starters, nobody went lower than 3-under 67. Aldrich Potgieter, Stephan Jaeger, Min Woo Lee and Ryo Hisatsune all reached that number, surviving a demanding setup that punished misses quickly and rewarded players who stayed on the correct side of the hole.
Potgieter, the big-hitting South African, made six birdies and credited his round to smart positioning, especially on Aronimink’s severe greens.
“I think I hit it on the right spots on the golf course, especially on the greens,” Potgieter said. “I didn’t feel like I had to putt over some of these big slopes we had.”
Hisatsune carded seven birdies, including four that came immediately after bogeys. Jaeger got hot with three straight birdies on his front nine. Lee also handled the conditions well, saying the pin locations made players think hard before attacking.
“There was a couple pins that were on hills and they were tough,” Lee said. “It’s a course where you don’t want to leave it in bad positions just because it can bite you in the butt pretty quick.”
Xander Schauffele, who won the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla with a major-record 21-under total, opened with a 68 and seemed more than satisfied.
“I think really, really thick rough and wind and really difficult greens and tucked pin locations is why you’re seeing what you may feel like are higher scores,” Schauffele said.
Rory McIlroy didn’t enjoy the same kind of start. The Masters champion struggled from the rough, fought the greens and closed with four straight bogeys for a 74.
Bryson DeChambeau had an even rougher day, shooting 76 after failing to make a birdie until his final hole, the par-5 ninth. He now faces a Friday fight just to avoid missing the cut in a second straight major.
Garrick Higgo endured a bizarre beginning, taking a two-shot penalty for arriving late to his tee time, but still shot 69.
Jordan Spieth, chasing the final leg of the career Grand Slam, also posted 69. Jon Rahm matched him after an eagle hole-out and two late birdies.
When told some expected lower scoring, Rahm pushed back.
“Have you been out there?” he said. “Have you seen this course?”
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