Rory McIlroy was very vocal about his opinion of the leaderboard at the PGA Championship last month.
McIlroy had a real chance to win the PGA Championship at Aronimink, but he was unable to get anything going on the back nine.
It was Aaron Rai who eventually took the spoils at Aronimink after a thrilling week of golf in Pennsylvania.
Who wins more majors in their career?
Nelly and Scottie now both have four each!
McIlroy played decently well throughout the week, but his poor driving accuracy caught up with him in the end.
Rory McIlroy has struggled with the putter on the PGA Tour this season, but it has been his driving that has caused him the most problems recently.
Had he found more fairways on Sunday at Aronimink last month, there’s a very good chance that he would be heading into Shinnecock Hills next week with a chance of winning the first three majors of the year.
However, winning at Aronimink was always going to be a tall order for the Northern Irishman, with so many players in and around the lead heading into Sunday.
Rory McIlroy’s comments at Aronimink proven wrong by The Memorial
After three rounds of the PGA Championship, McIlroy shared his frustrations about Aronimink.
“Yeah, the only thing I would say is, I think a bunched leaderboard like this, I think it’s a sign of not a great setup,“ McIlroy said.
“I think when it’s as bunched as it is, because it hasn’t really enabled anyone to separate themselves. It’s like, you know, it’s easy to make a ton of pars, hard to make birdies, and not that it’s hard to make bogey, but it feels like bogey’s the worst score you’re going to shoot on any one hole.
“There’s not a lot of hazards. There’s not, you know — yeah, I think the setup is fine, like the golf course is good, the pins were tough, and the wind was what it was as well.
“But I just think, yeah, I’ve always felt like really good setups, it starts to spread the field a bit, and not great setups sort of bring everyone together. I feel like that’s what’s happened the last two days.“
McIlroy missed the point completely with those comments.
The final round at Aronimink was one of the most thrilling spectacles we’ve witnessed in the sport over the past few years.
Meanwhile, The Memorial Tournament was the complete opposite, until the final two holes at least.
There was real separation heading into Sunday, despite the exceptionally strong setup at Muirfield Village.
A bunched leaderboard equals more excitement for golf fans
While the golf course at Muirfield Village may have identified the players who were playing the best golf, the final round wasn’t exactly a great spectacle for the fans.
Heading into the final round of The Memorial, there were probably four or five players who had a genuine chance to win.
Who wins more majors in their career?
Nelly and Scottie now both have four each!
Meanwhile, 30 guys or more had a shot at lifting the Wanamaker Trophy at Aronimink last month.
Surely it’s fair to say that the test at Aronimink ensured a more exciting final round than the one at Muirfield Village did?
That’s what McIlroy missed with his comments. Perhaps he and his fellow players prefer tests which ensure more separation during the final two rounds, but the vast majority of golf fans certainly don’t.
Give me 20 plus players heading into Sunday with a chance to win any day over two or three guys who have separated themselves from the rest.
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