Rory McIlroy addresses the media at Aronimink Golf Club in Pennsylvania on Tuesday, previewing this week’s PGA Championship. Fresh off his 2026 Masters victory last month, McIlroy aims to add another major to his resume. Many experts favor him to claim the title at Aronimink, a course where he has limited competitive experience.
McIlroy’s Limited History at Aronimink
McIlroy has played just one prior competitive event at Aronimink, the 2018 BMW Championship, where he finished fifth. He recently practiced there two Fridays ago and arrived late Monday night.
“I only got up here last night. I played two Fridays ago, I guess it was,” McIlroy said. “Yeah, we played here back in 2018 at the BMW. I don’t think the course necessarily played the way it will play this week. It was very wet that week. It looks like there’s going to be a little bit of rain Thursday night into Friday morning.”
Drier conditions this week highlight the greens’ character, which McIlroy identifies as the course’s primary defense.
Course Layout and Challenges
The layout features wide playing corridors similar to last year’s PGA Tour event at Philly Cricket Club. Fairways remain crucial despite the width, with rough offering variable lies.
“Still got to get the ball on the fairway. The rough is sort of hit-and-miss, but you can get some bad lies,” McIlroy noted. “It’s all about — you know, they can really tuck the pins away with some of these slopes on the greens and just really being aware of that.”
Players must avoid going above the hole or short-siding themselves, as these lead to tricky spots. Off the tee, aggression pays off, but greens demand strategic approach play.
Strategic Elements and Limitations
McIlroy appreciates the bunkering and hole variety, including shorter and longer par-4s plus a mix of par-3 lengths. However, he questions if the course fully tests a player’s bag.
“I like the style of golf. I like the bunkering. There’s a lot of bunkers,” he said. “I think it provides quite a nice bit of variety with shorter par-4s, a couple of longer par-4s. The par-3s, there’s three pretty long ones and a shorter one.”
“I’m not sure if it’s going to test all aspects of your bag. There’s going to be a lot of — again, as I said, strategy off the tee is pretty nonexistent. It’s, basically, bash driver down there and then figure it out from there.”
Tree removal on renovated traditional courses like Aronimink reduces tee-shot strategy. Success hinges on green positioning, especially leaving the ball below the hole.
Praise for Philadelphia Golf
With only four competitive rounds at Aronimink, McIlroy offers a measured take but lauds the venue and Philadelphia’s golf heritage.
“The greens are the main focus this week, and I think getting yourself in the right sections of the greens, making sure you leave yourself below the hole for the most part. That’s the key this week,” he emphasized. “Philadelphia’s a wonderful golfing city, a lot of great golf courses, and this is certainly one of them.”
