Rory McIlroy Arrives at Aronimink With a Second Green Jacket and Zero Patience for Last Year's Disaster

Twelve months ago, Rory McIlroy showed up to the PGA Championship riding high off his first major win in a decade and a brand new Masters title. He left with a tie for 47th. Not exactly the sequel he had in mind. This week at Aronimink Golf Club in Pennsylvania, McIlroy is walking in a completely different headspace, fresh off a Ryder Cup victory and that second green jacket, and he's made it crystal clear he's not about to waste this moment on some nagging toe blister.

"Coming into this tournament feels a lot different than what it did last year," McIlroy said, and you can feel the difference. The Northern Irishman is hungry again. A win this week would give him his seventh major championship, tying him with Arnold Palmer, Sam Snead, and Bobby Jones. That's the kind of history that drives a guy.

97 of the World's Best, and McIlroy Isn't the Only One Hungry

This is the strongest field of the year. Ninety-seven of the top 100 golfers in the world showed up Thursday to take a swing at Aronimink, and the defending champ Scottie Scheffler is right there with them. Scheffler, the world's No. 1, already grabbed his third major at Quail Hollow last year and added the Open Championship before summer was over. Now he's chasing back-to-back major wins for the first time in his career.

Even Scheffler admits the pressure of a major is different. "That's why you can't treat them quite the same because there's so much energy around it," he said. "You come into the press room, there's more people, more fans, more noise. There's just a lot more stuff going on." But he's not backing down. When Scheffler shows up, he's there to give the tournament his best, period.

Cameron Young is the trendy pick this week. He broke through to win The Players Championship and the Cadillac Championship this spring and climbed to No. 3 in the world. The guy has seven major top-10s already, and he's laser-focused on keeping his process locked in, not getting caught up in the hype.

174 Bunkers, Diabolical Greens, and No Room for Mistakes

Here's where things get brutal: Aronimink is a course that doesn't forgive. Renovated by Gil Hanse in 2018, this par-70 monster stretches 7,394 yards with an estimated 174 bunkers scattered everywhere. The par-4 11th alone has 20 plus bunkers. The greens? They're sloped, they're difficult, and they're the main story this week.

McIlroy had to cut short his Tuesday practice round at the fourth hole thanks to discomfort from a blister on his right pinky toe. He's expected to compete, though. He's had the blister since last Friday and wasn't about to let it derail his week. Strategy off the tee is basically nonexistent here, McIlroy explained. It's driver down and figure it out from there. The real battle is getting your approach shots dialed in and leaving yourself below the hole as much as possible.

Xander Schauffele, the 2024 champion, summed it up perfectly: "Course is firming up. Greens are diabolical. It should be a really good test."

The top 70 and ties will make the cut after 36 holes. This is championship golf at its most unforgiving. First tee is Thursday, and the field is loaded for a reason.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.