3 Things We Learned
1. Aronimink is Difficult
There were whispers at the start of the week that with generous fairways, players could be aggressive off the tee and really attack Aronimink, which could mean low scores.
So far, that hasn't happened. The course might be a bit generous off the tee but miss the fairway and you’re in a tough spot.
LEADERBOARD: Follow live scoring from Round 2 at Aronimink
Wondering how hard it’s playing? Consider this: Thursday’s first-round lead of 3-under 67 marked the highest score to par leading after Round 1 of a PGA Championship in 18 years.
The last time that happened was in 2008 at Oakland Hills. That PGA Championship was won by Padraig Harrington, who finished at 3-under.
From what we’ve seen so far on Friday, there’s no reason to suspect this trend will change. The first-round scoring average was 72.3. As of late Friday morning, it was 73.1.
There were five holes on the course – Nos. 6, 12, 14, 15 and 18 – with more 3-putts than birdies.
Also of note is the weather. It’s been cool and windy the first two days. Over the weekend, the temperature will be significantly warmer, with a high of 81 on Saturday and a high near 90 degree high on Sunday. With an even harder, faster course, it’ll be appointment viewing.
2. The front nine is for scoring, the back nine is for weathering the storm
Make no mistake – neither nine at Aronimink is a picnic. However, it’s become clear through a day and a half of the 2026 PGA Championship that the front side is the easier of the two nines.
In Round 1, the par-35 front nine played to a scoring average of 35.807 while the back nine (also par 35) played to 36.454. It’s been similar in Round 2.
So far Friday – in relation to par – the front nine features six of the nine easiest holes on the course and that includes all of the first five holes.
The back nine is all about persevering and keeping a big number off the card… which hasn’t been easy, particularly on the 215-yard, par-2 14th hole. It's been playing as the most difficult hole on the course, with six double bogeys or worse.
3. Scottie Scheffler had a rough start, but hung in there on his front nine
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, the defending PGA Champion and one of the co-leaders at 3 under after Round 1, went out early on Friday. He teed off on No. 10 at 8:40 a.m., meaning he played the more difficult side first.
Scheffler bogeyed three of his first four holes to drop back to even par.
BUT… there’s a reason he’s been so dominant as of late. On the 214-yard, par-3 17th hole – one of the hardest holes on the course this week – Scheffler struck a tee shot that settled just 1 foot, 10 inches from the hole, the closest this week, and made a birdie.
After hitting 13 of 14 fairways in Round 1, Scheffler didn’t find a fairway until his ninth hole Friday – No. 18. He would make a par there to turn in 2-over 37 (1 under for the Championship) and two off Alex Smalley’s lead.
Keep an eye on Scheffler to see how he navigates the easier front nine.
3 Things we’re Excited About
1. Will Rory McIlroy bounce back?
We can’t use the word McIlroy did to describe his 4-over 74 in Thursday’s first round of the PGA Championship, but it translates to “not good.”
McIlroy spent hours on the range following Thursday’s round trying to find something. Though he was bothered by a painful blister on a toe earlier this week, he said it wasn’t an issue in Round 1.
Thus far, Aronimink is proving to be the kind of place where a player can make up a lot of ground if they can hang on the right side of par. And it’s a good thing, because they probably aren’t going to in these breezy conditions. If McIlroy is going to avoid missing the cut in a major for the first time since the 2024 Open Championship, he’s going to need to find the fairway off the tee in Round 2.
2. What can we expect from Garrick Higgo?
There’s no denying that South Africa’s Garrick Higgo was one of the biggest storylines in Round 1. He arrived late to the first tee and was assessed a two-shot penalty. That’s got to be demoralizing in any tournament before hitting a single shot, but especially in a Major.
But the bad news on the first tee didn’t hinder Higgo as he managed to shoot a 1-under 69.
What will do on Friday? Higgo tees off at 12:43 PM ET in Round 2.
3. Which Bryson DeChambeau will we get this afternoon?
Thursday did not provide the type of start Bryson DeChambeau was hoping for in the first round of the PGA Championship. The two-time U.S. Open Champion, who has finished as the runner-up in the last two PGA Championships, struggled at Aronimink with a disappointing 6-over 76.
It marked the fourth consecutive major in which DeChambeau has struggled in the opening round.
At the 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont, DeChambeau missed the cut after rounds of 73-77.
In the 2025 Open Championship at Royal Portrush, he had a 7-over 78 in Round 1… but was a different player the rest of the way with a remarkable bounce back. First, there was the 6-under 65 in Round 2, followed by 68-64 on the weekend and a tie for 10th.
In April, DeChambeau went 74-76 in the first two rounds of the Masters to miss the cut.
So, which DeChambeau will we see at Aronimink today?
Bryson gets his second round underway at 1:43 PM ET.
