Scottie Scheffler said the pin placements and weather conditions at the 2026 PGA Championship were the hardest he has ever faced.

The comments from the world number one golfer highlight the extreme difficulty of the tournament's setup, which can shift the leaderboard and challenge even the most elite players.

Scheffler faced a difficult start during the second round on Friday at Aronimink Golf Club. He recorded three bogeys on the first four holes of the round [1]. Before the start of Friday's play, Scheffler was three-under [2].

According to reports, the conditions at the venue were exacerbated by cold wind and rain, which made play tough for the field [3], [4]. Scheffler said the situation was "kind of absurd" [5]. He said the pin placements were the "hardest he's ever seen" [6].

These struggles were not isolated to a few holes, as the golfer described the overall setup as a "hardest ever" complaint [7]. The combination of precise pin locations, and inclement weather created a brutal environment for the competitors throughout the second round.

Despite the rough start, Scheffler's ability to navigate these conditions remains a focal point for observers of the championship. The world number one's struggle against the course design at Aronimink Golf Club underscores the volatile nature of major championship golf, where course setup often plays as large a role as player skill.

“"Kind of absurd"”

When the world's top-ranked player characterizes a course setup as the hardest of his career, it suggests the tournament organizers prioritized maximum difficulty over scoring. This often leads to a 'survival' mentality among players, where avoiding high scores becomes more critical than aggressively pursuing birdies, potentially widening the gap between the leaders and the rest of the field.