With just 18 holes remaining at the 2026 PGA Championship and a crowded leaderboard setting the stage for a dramatic finish, it seems one hole could shape the outcome of Sunday’s final round: the par-4 10th at Aronimink Golf Club.
According to PGA Tour course statistics, the 472-yard par 4 is playing as the hardest hole on the course, averaging .386 strokes over par for the field. Much of that difficulty appears to stem from its demanding green complex — something that Smylie Kaufman highlighted during a recent episode of the Smylie Show.
In a clip from the episode, Kaufman, alongside co-host Charlie Hulme, broke down the challenges that this green presents, saying, “It’s probably the most difficult green that some of these players are going to play in their career.”
The reason this green is so challenging is because of the minuscule landing areas, something that’s more apparent when you look at a green map, like the one below featuring the third-round hole location.
Arccos
As you can see, flat spots are sparse on the 10th green, with severe undulations (many exceeding 4-percent of slope) running through much of the putting surface. This makes it difficult to control where the ball finishes and find the “pro side” miss, a critical aspect of course management at major championships.
“It just requires you to be so accurate,” Kaufman says.
And when you consider that the 10th fairway slopes toward the water hazard lurking short and left of the green, this approach shot becomes even more daunting for players.
“At the 10th hole, the ball is above your feet [for right-handed players], so it’s going to make the golf ball curve a little bit more to the left,” Kaufman continues, “If you have a right-to-left shot that’s riding a right-to-left wind, that golf ball is going to bounce left when it lands and from there, it’s off the green, to the left.”
And with the 10th marking the start of the back nine, it doesn’t just stand as a difficult hole in the final round — it becomes a pivotal moment where momentum can shift, and a champion can begin to separate from the field.
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