Cameron Young has issued his verdict on Aronimink having seen the PGA Championship venue for the first time ahead of the second major of the year.
Young is going to be one of the favourites to win this week. The 29-year-old has already won twice on the PGA Tour this year.
He was particularly impressive at Doral, with Young opening up a sizeable lead by the halfway stage on the Blue Monster.
Young was able to take most of the danger out of the equation with his length off the tee at Doral. So Rory McIlroy ‘s comments ahead of the PGA Championship may have been music to his ears.
McIlroy claimed that there is little need for any strategy off the tee at Aronimink. He clearly believes that sending the ball as far down the hole as possible will prove to be the best way to score well.
Interestingly, Young appears to have come to a different conclusion after seeing the course for the first time ahead of this week’s tournament.
“Yeah, I liked it. I feel like it’s very, very classic Northeast. The grasses are very familiar. The rough is pretty thick, but I feel like it’s a nice combination,” he said as he spoke to the media.
“The fairways, they’re not super narrow, but they are firm enough that if you hit bad shots that land in the fairway, they can get in the rough or if it’s shaped incorrectly.
“The greens are definitely tricky. You have to kind of know what slopes you’re landing on. Especially if you don’t get much rain, it’s going to be a huge difference between landing on upslope or flat.
“I really liked it. I haven’t been before. I’m just kind of still seeing my way around a little bit. I’ll play the front nine again today.
“Yeah, I’ve really liked it so far. I think, especially if we get a dry week, it could be pretty firm by the end of the week, and that will be a lot of fun.”
Young is going to be extremely difficult to beat this week. He is currently sixth on the PGA Tour for strokes gained off the tee.
Having said that, Rory McIlroy is first, and Scottie Scheffler is fifth. So it would be no surprise to see the three best players in the world right now somewhere around the lead come Sunday in Philadelphia.
Young’s form will be a concern for the likes of McIlroy and Scheffler.
The 29-year-old has finished inside the top 10 in six of his last seven starts. That run includes a third place finish at The Masters and his two victories this year.
Ultimately, those performances suggest that there is not a golf course that does not suit Young’s game right now.
