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NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. — The predominant storyline through the first few days of the PGA Championship is the canvas on which it will be played.

Aronimink, the famed Donald Ross design just outside Philadelphia, has been the fascination of the golf world, mostly because it’s a course we seldom see. It’s hosted just three men’s championships since 1963, none of which were majors. Only Justin Rose and Rickie Fowler have seen this course more than twice.

That means everyone is on a fact-finding mission. How will the course play? What are the signature holes? Is it tough enough?

That last question has gotten the most oxygen. The PGA Championship in recent years has played difficult. It’s become known for its long rough, and overall lengthy courses. Aronimink isn’t presenting much of either. The rough is juicy but not overly so, and the property's constraints mean it’s stretched to its max yet still not incredibly long. That’s most evident on the front nine, where the seven par 4s will all likely play as a driver/wedge hole.

“It's, basically, bash driver down there and then figure it out from there,” Rory McIlroy said.

It’s in the eye of the beholder whether that’s the test you prefer. McIlroy said he likes the style of golf, and he should. The takeaway from almost every player and caddie I talk to is that distance will be a real advantage. My takeaway: It’s my favorite PGA Championship venue since Southern Hills in 2022, and one with the potential to produce a great tournament if it stays relatively firm and fast. It’s striking to the eye, too, which helps.

The firmness will be the key. The best feature of Aronimink is its greens, which are big and slopey and tons of fun to watch players hit into and putt on. If the surfaces are firm, it’s going to be incredible theater. If not, it could become a dart fest.

“If they can stay firm like this, I think it's going to be a pretty awesome test,” Scottie Scheffler said.

As for signature holes, there are a few that stick out. The fifth is a 171-yard par 3 to one of the coolest greens on the property, featuring numerous humps and bumps that give that hole life. The eighth is a brutish par 3, 242 yards down the hill. A true survive-and-advance hole. The 11th has a crazy false front at the start of the green, meaning we could see carnage if it truly is firm. The 17th is similar. It’s another very long par 3, with a severe slope along the left side. I saw four balls in the water while watching only two groups come through on Wednesday.

Playing through

• 4️⃣5️⃣ How much longer can Justin Rose defy his age? Spent time with those around him for this feature, trying to answer that question …
• 📊 What trends should you be watching out for this week? I went through five ...
• 😁 We’ve got a much happier, content Rory McIlroy than at this event a year ago. I wrote about the differences that are easy to see ...
• 🗣️ Need to get caught up on everything that’s happened so far? We compiled the top quotes from all the pre-tournament press conferences …

Captain Furyk speaks

We heard from Jim Furyk for the first time since he was announced as U.S. Ryder Cup captain and it was a refreshing, interesting conversation that yielded several notable insights. Let’s break them down.

• Foursomes is a problem, and they know it: Furyk didn’t mince words. Foursomes (alternate shot) has been a Cup killer for them. They were dominated in the format at Bethpage Black and never recovered. They even struggled with it in the Presidents Cup. Furyk admitted that change is needed in how they pick partners and approach the format. “I think there are a lot of stones to be unturned, our analytics, and just how we grow and how we evolve in all those areas,” he said.
• There needs to be a blueprint going forward: Furyk said the U.S. Team has lacked the necessary, consistent game plan to string together top results. “We need to create more continuity for our players and for our future captains,” he said. “And we really need to start making the Ryder Cup more of a priority each and every year, year in and year out, and focus on growing and evolving into the future.”
• Furyk is ready to learn from his mistakes: He was the losing captain at the 2018 Ryder Cup in France, and he expects to implement several learnings. Amongst them is a keener sense of who to select with captain’s picks that fit the golf course. He was put in a tough position in 2018, with the most in-form players being ill-suited to the course. He took them anyway and they struggled. “I'm prepared and willing and will make those tough decisions.”

There’s a long time before the 2027 Ryder Cup in Adare Manor, but it was a direct, impressive start to Furyk’s captaincy.

Parting shots

• 👣 I wouldn’t worry about Rory McIlroy’s physical health. He cut his practice round short on Tuesday because of a blister on his foot that was causing considerable pain, but he sized up his shoe and played nine holes on Wednesday without much discomfort. As he was walking off the 18th, he told a few people that all was good with his foot.
• ⭕ Don’t be surprised if there are low scores early on Thursday morning, particularly for those who start on the front nine. With rain expected overnight leading to softer conditions, Aronimink may be gettable early, and the front nine is the far easier side to start on. Most of the top players, however, start on the back nine.
• 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Justin Rose said Tuesday he’s more than confident that he can win this week with his new McLaren Golf irons in the bag. That said, he spent the early week testing many variations of clubs, as spotted here by Golf Digest’s Jonathan Wall. That’s not ideal right before a major.
• 🏆 Among the players and caddies I spoke to, most expect the winning score to settle around 16-under, though a few thought someone could push it to 20-under. However, if the forecasted rain misses the area, expect it to play harder than that.
• 🇩🇰 A name I keep coming back to as I try to ascertain who will play well is Nicolai Højgaard. Has the distance to win a bomb-and-gouge test, but has been best this season with his approach play. If this becomes a second-shot golf course, I think he can contend, too. Oh, and he’s coming off a runner-up finish in Charlotte.
• 🇺🇸 My official pick to win is Scottie Scheffler. Boring, I know.