327: PGA Championship Preview: Why Aronimink Could Favor the Bombers
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The Smiley Show dives deep into the 2026 PGA Championship at Aronimink, framing it not just as a golf tournament but as a cultural and architectural rebirth for Philadelphia. Hosts Smiley Kaufman and Charlie Hume lead with a powerful narrative about Cobbs Creek, a historic site where a long-lost Hugh Wilson-designed public golf course is being restored by Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner, tied to the TGR Learning Lab’s mission of STEM education and youth empowerment. This vision of community-driven golf architecture becomes the emotional core of the episode, setting the stage for a preview that’s as much about legacy as it is about scoring. The course itself is painted as a high-stakes test favoring bombers: long hitters like Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, and Jon Rahm thrive on Aronimink’s firm, patchy rough and strategic bunkers, while wedge precision and putting on undulating greens become the true differentiators. The hosts debate the controversial tree removal project—restoring Donald Ross’s original vision versus modern playability—highlighting a nuanced tension between tradition and accessibility. Despite the chalky odds, they ultimately pick Jon Rahm as their winner, citing his length, wedge control, and ability to handle the course’s blind approaches and slopey greens.
Aronimink’s restoration honors Donald Ross’s original design, with tree removal to return the course to its intended challenge.
Patchy rough and firm greens will favor long hitters, but wedge play and putting on slopey greens will be the true differentiators.
Cobbs Creek’s restoration project, led by Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner, is a community-driven initiative tied to the TGR Learning Lab’s STEM education mission.
Jon Rahm is the hosts’ top pick due to his length, wedge control, and ability to handle blind approaches and tricky green complexes.
The course setup favors aggressive play off the tee, with strategic bunker placement forcing players to avoid certain areas.
…and 3 more takeaways available in PodZeus
The Heart of Philadelphia: Cobbs Creek & the TGR Learning Lab
“The coolest part of the day for me… was walking up the stairs here at the TGR Learning Lab and seeing all the pennants of the different colleges that the students here who are coming here for STEM education, all the places they've been placed through the support of this program.”
Aronimink’s Architectural Legacy: Ross vs. Modernization
“I've been making this joke for the last few years where I see a lot of golf courses coming and saying, look, 100 years ago, this golf course was like this. There were no trees. I'm like, well, in the back of my mind, they planted those trees with the future vision of having those trees in play.”
The Bomber’s Paradise: Why Length Wins at Aronimink
With a par 70, 7,394-yard layout and patchy rough, Aronimink rewards long hitters. The hosts analyze how players like Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, and Jon Rahm will dominate by bombing drives and relying on wedges from the fairway, while shorter players must be exceptionally accurate.
The Green Complex: Where the Real Battle Begins
The hosts emphasize that Aronimink’s greens—pitchy, undulating, and often with double breakers—will be the ultimate test. Players must leave themselves below the hole, and putting will be critical, especially on 10-15 footers that require precision and nerve.
The 2026 PGA Championship Forecast: Who’s in Contention?
The hosts break down top contenders: Jon Rahm (their pick), Scottie Scheffler (chalky but inconsistent early), Cam Young (strong wedge game but inconsistent putting), and Bryson DeChambeau (great on firm greens but struggles to close). They also highlight sleepers like Sepp Straka and Colin Morikawa.
“I've been making this joke for the last few years where I see a lot of golf courses coming and saying, look, 100 years ago, this golf course was like this. There were no trees. I'm like, well, in the back of my mind, they planted those trees with the future vision of having those trees in play.”
“much as we love touring the golf course, was walking up the stairs here at the TGR Learning Lab and seeing all the pennants of the different colleges that the students here who are coming here for STEM education, all the places they've been placed through the support of this program.”
“You're not going to get a ton of those yards this week. But I'm saying if you're not long – I mean, we heard Keegan talk about our preview about, you know, he had 240 yards in on 18 when he played it in 2018 and they added another 40 yards to the hole.”
Hosts
trout national
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cobbs creek
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jon rahm
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scottie scheffler
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tgr learning lab
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smiley kaufman
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cam young
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gil hanse
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jim wagner
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charlie hume
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