The day after the PGA Championship, a one-handicap amateur golfer, Gabby Herzig, teed off at Aronimink, a course that had proven challenging for the world's best players. Herzig, a golf writer for The Athletic, encountered a formidable layout, with pins in the same positions as the previous day's PGA round. Despite her skill, Herzig struggled, posting an 88, with five pars, 10 bogeys, two double bogeys, and one quadruple bogey. The rough was particularly unforgiving, and Herzig's struggle with finding fairways led to multiple bogeys. She found the sixth and 13th holes almost impossible, and the 15th was a 'nightmare' due to the difficulty of hitting the fairway. Interestingly, Herzig didn't have any three-putts, but her missed greens resulted in numerous 15-foot putts for pars. Herzig's experience highlights the course's difficulty, even for skilled golfers, and the setup's impact on the tournament's outcome. This raises a deeper question: How can course setup be optimized to ensure a fair and competitive tournament for all players, regardless of their handicap?
