Scottie Scheffler Says PGA Is Testing Players in a Different Way, Maybe Not the Best One

Scottie Scheffler is still very much in the hunt at the PGA Championship, but that did not stop him from making it clear he is not exactly thrilled with how Aronimink is testing the field.

After Friday’s round, Scheffler said the challenge at this year’s PGA Championship is “different” and suggested it may not be the best version of hard golf, taking aim at the way extreme pin positions have shaped scoring and pace through the opening two days.

The world No. 1’s frustration centered on the setup rather than the course itself, especially the hole locations that players repeatedly described as some of the toughest they have seen.

Scheffler’s most pointed criticism came when discussing the broader philosophy behind the test. “I love hard tests of golf, but it’s also the hardest game in the world and we’re trying to make it harder and there’s different ways you can do that,” he said. “This is a challenge that’s different, and maybe not the best challenge.”

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That quote quickly became one of the defining lines of Friday because it captured the mood around a leaderboard that stayed tightly packed largely because so many players struggled to get near certain hole locations.

The most talked-about example was the 14th hole, a par-3 that Scheffler singled out in his post-round comments. He described the pin placement there as “absurd,” comparing it to trying to land the ball on top of a “microphone.” That image was not exactly subtle, but it got the point across. The concern was that players were not just being asked to hit great shots. They were being asked to hit shots to tiny, awkward targets on greens that already have plenty of movement.

Scheffler is not some guy complaining from 20 shots back either, which makes the comments land a little differently. He remained firmly in contention through 36 holes, sitting two under and just a couple of shots off the lead. The leaderboard stayed compressed because conditions and setup made it difficult for anyone to separate, which is part of why his criticism resonated beyond just his own round.

The setup also became part of a second problem: pace of play. Rounds were dragging past five hours, with some groups nearing five and a half. Justin Thomas, Keegan Bradley and Cameron Young were even put on the clock during the second round, though players argued much of the delay came from backups ahead of them. When hole locations are that severe and players spend extra time trying to figure out how not to short-side themselves into a disaster, the clock usually pays the price too.

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Scheffler was not alone in thinking the line may have been pushed too far. Other players, including Rory McIlroy and Chris Gotterup, also voiced concerns about the setup and how the traffic flow around the course contributed to slow play.

That does not mean Scheffler was asking for easier golf. His point was more specific than that. He has never exactly sounded like a player begging for soft setups and birdie-fests. The issue here was the type of difficulty being created. There is a difference between rewarding elite shot-making and creating positions where players feel like they are being tested by something bordering on gimmickry. Based on his comments, Scheffler thinks this week has drifted a little too close to the second category.

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