Friday's action at the PGA Championship delivered plenty of drama, but it also tested the patience of players and fans alike as rounds stretched into marathon sessions. When Scottie Scheffler's group needed three hours just to navigate the front nine, it became clear that the day would be a test of endurance as much as skill.

The culprit? A perfect storm of challenges. Aronimink's brutal conditions—howling winds, punishing rough, and devilish pin placements—combined with the intense pressure of major championship golf to create significant bottlenecks across the course. Players found themselves waiting on nearly every hole, with the flow of the game grinding to a near halt.

Even the game's biggest stars felt the slowdown. Rory McIlroy was spotted taking a seat on the 10th tee, using the unexpected downtime for a moment of reflection before continuing his round. Despite the delays, McIlroy managed to card an impressive three-under 67, and afterward, he offered a candid assessment of the pace of play.

"It was, it was slow," McIlroy acknowledged. "There were a couple of groups ahead of us—did Sahith maybe lose a ball on 10? We were on the 8th green when they were having a look for the ball, so that definitely delayed us in the middle of that round."

The four-time major winner pointed to the course layout as a contributing factor, noting that several greens and tees are clustered together, creating natural choke points. "There's a few little parts of the course that you can sort of get jammed on," he explained.

But McIlroy, ever the pragmatist, didn't seem overly frustrated. He noted that slow play is simply part of the major championship experience, especially for afternoon tee times. "It seems like that's the first two days of major championship golf are always going to be like that," he said. "You don't mind being out there because it's Augusta, but at the same time, it is very, very slow."

The good news? McIlroy expects things to pick up over the weekend. "Hopefully, we can play in two balls and things will flow a bit better," he added. With the field cut in half, players should have more room to breathe—and fans can look forward to a faster pace as the championship heads toward its thrilling conclusion.