The opening round of the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club delivered exactly what golf fans expected from a major championship venue , a grueling examination of skill, patience, and nerve. With thick rough, undulating Donald Ross greens, and a stubborn wind that arrived mid-morning, the historic Pennsylvania course proved why it hadn’t hosted a major in over six decades. By the time the early wave finished, four players had separated themselves at 3-under 67, while several of the game’s biggest names found themselves in an unexpected fight just to stay near the cut line.
Aronimink Announces Itself as a Serious Major Test
The morning wave at this PGA Championship encountered a course that felt far removed from the birdie-fests that have defined much of modern professional golf. Overnight rain left the rough damp and dense, while the green complexes , famous for their massive undulations , played even more severe than anticipated. Chilly temperatures that felt more like May rather than mid-spring gave way to clearing skies and, eventually, a stiff breeze that added yet another layer of difficulty.
Players who found themselves in the wrong spots paid dearly. Approach shots that landed in the rough rarely held the green. Putts that drifted even slightly off line faced the prospect of running twenty feet past the hole. One shot from Rory McIlroy on the 15th hopped forward an additional 20 feet on its second bounce , a moment that perfectly captured how Aronimink punishes anything less than precision.
Why the Scoring Was So Suppressed
Xander Schauffele, who set the major championship scoring record at the 2024 PGA Championship with a 21-under 263 at Valhalla, opened his title defense with a 68 and offered perhaps the clearest explanation for the testing conditions.
“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.
That trifecta , thick rough, firm greens, and tucked pins , created a recipe more reminiscent of a U.S. Open than a typical PGA Championship setup. Several players noted that even shots that looked reasonable on paper ended up in trouble spots thanks to subtle slopes and deceptive green contours.
The Early Leaders: Four-Way Tie at the Top
Four players navigated the Aronimink challenge better than anyone else during the morning session, each posting a 67 to share the clubhouse lead.
- Aldrich Potgieter , The big-hitting South African was the first to post 67, carding six birdies from the 10th tee in the opening group of the day. His secret? Avoiding the worst of the green slopes.
- Stephan Jaeger , Ran off three consecutive birdies during his front nine to climb into the group at 67.
- Min Woo Lee , Noted for his aggressive style, Lee praised the setup for putting pins in challenging positions and forcing players to think carefully on every approach.
- Ryo Hisatsune , The Japanese star produced the most balanced card of the leaders, mixing seven birdies with just three bogeys , four of his birdies coming immediately after dropped shots.
Potgieter’s post-round assessment summed up what separated the leaders from the rest of the field.
“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. So I definitely left myself in really good positions on the green.”
Big Names Struggle in the Morning Wave
Rory McIlroy’s Frustrating Start
Coming off his Masters victory, McIlroy arrived at Aronimink as one of the clear favorites. But the Northern Irishman never found his rhythm, struggling in the dense rough and on the slick, undulating greens. Four consecutive bogeys to close his round resulted in a 74 that drew a one-word assessment from the champion himself , a word that loosely translates to doo-doo.
It was a stark reminder that even the world’s best players can be humbled by a venue hosting its first major since Gary Player won the 1962 PGA Championship.
Bryson DeChambeau’s Worst Showing in a Major
If McIlroy had a bad day, Bryson DeChambeau had an even worse one. The big-hitting American didn’t make a single birdie until his final hole , the par-5 ninth , finishing with a 76 that kept him from matching his previous worst score at a PGA Championship. He now faces the prospect of a second consecutive missed cut in a major if he doesn’t turn things around in round two.
Jordan Spieth Keeps Grand Slam Hopes Alive
Among the players at 69 was Jordan Spieth, who needs only the PGA Championship to complete the career Grand Slam. This marks his 10th attempt at the feat, and while he briefly held a share of the lead late in his round, a long three-putt on the seventh and a missed birdie opportunity on the par-5 ninth left him wanting more.
“Just didn’t quite finish the way I wanted to the last three holes, but under par was a good score,” Spieth said. “It was blowing really hard, and it was cold this morning. The course played very, very difficult.”
Jon Rahm Fights Back Late
Jon Rahm appeared headed for another rough major start until a miraculous run of late heroics. The Spaniard holed out for eagle from the 11th fairway, chipped in for birdie on the difficult par-3 eighth, and got up-and-down for birdie on his final hole to salvage a 69. When told some observers expected better scoring in the morning wave, Rahm was incredulous.
“People thought it would be lower? Have you been out there? Have you seen this course?” Rahm replied.
He pointed out that the course’s appearance can be misleading. The width of the fairways might suggest easy scoring, but subtle slopes consistently push decent shots into the rough, making it nearly impossible to attack tucked pin positions.
Garrick Higgo’s Painful Two-Shot Penalty
Perhaps the cruelest moment of the opening morning belonged to Garrick Higgo. The South African was assessed a two-shot penalty before even hitting his opening drive , arriving seconds late to the first tee after the timing announcement. Despite the disastrous start, he still managed to post a 69, though he admitted he would have preferred his rightful 3-under par.
“Unfortunately golf has these situations where we get penalized for things,” Higgo said. “But it is a rule and I obviously broke the rule. I would love to have 3 under. Hopefully, I can make a good story out of it.”
Defending Champion Still to Tee Off
One significant storyline was still developing as the morning wave concluded: defending champion and world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler hadn’t yet teed off. Playing in the afternoon session alongside Cameron Young and Matt Fitzpatrick, Scheffler’s round would provide the day’s final chapter on a course that has already proven it rewards discipline over flash.
What Made Aronimink So Demanding
Aronimink’s return to major championship golf , its first since Player’s 1962 triumph , was a long time coming. The club hosted PGA Tour events in 2010, 2011, and again in 2018 following a comprehensive restoration. But this was different. This was major championship golf, and the course lived up to every ounce of its storied reputation.
Key factors contributed to the demanding scoring conditions:
- Damp, dense rough that swallowed approach shots and made recovery nearly impossible.
- Massive green undulations characteristic of the original Donald Ross design.
- Tucked pin positions that left no margin for error on approach shots.
- Afternoon wind that arrived just as the morning leaders finished, hinting at even tougher conditions for the afternoon wave.
- Subtle fairway slopes that funneled seemingly straight shots into the rough.
Looking Ahead: The Weekend Battle Looms
With the opening round delivering a leaderboard that featured far more red than usual at a major, the 2024 PGA Championship at Aronimink has all the makings of a classic. The course’s difficulty suggests that patience will be the most valuable commodity over the next three rounds. Players who can avoid big numbers while capitalizing on the rare scoring opportunities will separate themselves from the pack.
For the four co-leaders at 67, the challenge now shifts to defending their positions against a loaded afternoon wave that includes Scheffler and several other elite competitors. For those who struggled on Thursday , including McIlroy and DeChambeau , the work begins immediately to avoid an early exit from one of the most demanding major championship tests in recent memory.
One thing is already certain: Aronimink has announced itself as a venue worthy of major championship status, and the PGA Championship has found itself a compelling new stage that will test the world’s best golfers in every conceivable way.