Aronimink is Proving All of Us Wrong

Hanging around Aronimink and the Media Center earlier this week, the consensus was that the best players in the world could eat Donald Ross’ design up. The lack of trees, limited strategy off the tee, plenty of wedge opportunities—it all added up to a potential birdie fest. And, to be honest, it dampened my excitement a little bit.

I fell in love with the property during the practice rounds. It’s intimate, the bunkering and sight lines are easy on the eyes, and it looks like a track you could play every day and never get tired of. So the thought that it could get dismantled over a four-day event was a bummer. But on Thursday morning, it was clear that the storm which rolled through overnight didn’t take much spice out of the greens and fairways. From that moment, I felt good about Ross’ undulating and tiered putting surfaces posing enough of a challenge to keep the winning score in the low double-digits.

RELATED: How to Watch the PGA Championship

But then the wind rolled in.

I walked a bit with Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, and Jon Rahm during the opening round, and it was a comfortable stroll. The sun was out, which took the bite out of the air, and the wind wasn’t making too big of an impact. But once it rolled in during the afternoon, the golf course showed its teeth.

That theme continued Friday morning as the 18-hole lead of 3 under held up until Aldrich Potgieter, one of the overnight leaders, got to 4 under a few holes into his second round just after one o’clock in the afternoon.

RELATED: The Conditions at Aronimink are Here to Stay

The wind is forecast to slow down a bit for the early-late wave, so I wouldn’t be surprised if the halfway lead is 5 or 6 under. But with no rain in the forecast, the greens are only going to get faster and the fairways will be harder to hold. Plus, I expect to see the PGA of America continue to challenge the players with tough pin locations.

So, yes, me and countless others were wrong about what Aronimink had in store for us, but I couldn’t be happier to eat my words. This weekend is going to rock.

We Were Wrong About Aronimink