Donald Ross completed Aronimink in 1928 on 300 rolling acres near Philadelphia. He came back almost twenty years later, just before he died, and said it was his best work. Now, almost a hundred years later, the 108th PGA Championship began on Thursday. With 174 bunkers and fairways that leave no room for error, the course quickly proved Ross right.

The first was a jaw-dropping wedge shot from 101 yards out, while the second was a fairway eagle that left the crowd speechless. Meanwhile, the third was a gritty bunker chip-in that proved how quickly a player can wipe away a mistake. Here are the day’s best shots.

Jon Rahm holes out from 101 yards on the 2nd hole at the PGA Championship

Jon Rahm started the week as the highest-ranked LIV Golf player in the OWGR at No. 20, with wins already secured in Hong Kong and Mexico City in 2026. On the par-4 2nd hole, he holed a wedge shot from 101 yards for an eagle, making it the second straight competitive round where he pulled off a hole-out. Rahm’s current ranking rarely tells the whole story due to the ongoing OWGR divide, but out on the grass, his club does all the talking. But at Aronimink, Rahm’s performance told a different story.

The second hole was a 413-yard dogleg left, with bunkers on both sides of the green and a tricky putting surface with no safe spots, where Rahm’s wedge shot landed, stopped, and rolled into the hole. Imagine trying to toss a small pebble into a teacup from a hundred steps away, standing on uneven ground. Rahm’s wedge shot did exactly that. It is the kind of magic anyone can understand, proving his hands are as steady as ever.

Daniel Brown holes out for the first eagle of the 2026 PGA Championship

Daniel Brown made his PGA Championship debut after earning his 2026 PGA Tour card through the DP World Tour Race to Dubai, following Laurie Canter’s return to LIV Golf. On the 11th hole, he holed out from the fairway for the tournament’s first eagle. Brown, 31, from Northallerton, has four professional wins. He led the 2024 Open Championship after the first round with a score of 65 and finished tied for 10th that week. His performance at Aronimink on Thursday added another highlight to his growing record.

The 11th hole requires accuracy to have any chance at a good score. Over 20 bunkers line the fairway, and the green is shaped so that a missed shot can roll up to 50 yards back into the fairway. Brown’s shot flew straight, stayed on target, and dropped into the cup.

Picture a dusty path where hitting a tiny target from afar seems impossible. Daniel Brown did just that from the fairway, as the ball flew true, skipped once, and vanished. Some might say it was luck, but rather, it was pure focus on a course built to punish the slightest hesitation.

David Puig’s chip-in at the 14th hole keeps his PGA Championship round on track

After dropping a frustrating shot on the 13th, David Puig immediately bounced back at the par-3 14th with a chip-in from the bunker, creating Round 1’s best recovery. The 14th hole is 216 yards long and almost surrounded by sand, making it tough for any player. Puig’s chip flew over the edge of the bunker, stayed on course, and rolled straight toward the pin.

Puig, a Spanish LIV Golf player who turned pro from Arizona State in 2022, has proven he can handle the pressure of major championships. On Thursday at Aronimink, his quick recovery spoke for itself. By the time the ball dropped, he had already put the bogey behind him.

Aronimink was designed by Ross to expose weaknesses in a player’s game. Approach angles, spin control, and the penalty for a single misread green are all deliberate tests. Brown set the tone with the first eagle of the tournament.

Jon Rahm demonstrated that back-to-back hole-outs are rarely seen without a world-class wedge game. Puig proved that the right recovery can erase any mistake. From the start, Round 1 showed that the course was in control, just as Ross intended.