Scheffler ground out a hard-earned round of one-over-par in cold, gusting winds, surviving a chaotic opening stretch before steadying himself across the back half of the day to remain firmly in contention heading into the weekend.

“It was just really, really tough,” Scheffler admitted.

“It was blowing really hard, and it was quite cold as well. So, the golf ball wasn’t really travelling anywhere. It was just a really challenging morning overall.”

The American found himself under immediate pressure after struggling to consistently find fairways early in the round, but a crucial par save on the 14th hole became a turning point in his round.

“I think I was maybe 3-over through 4, and the par I made on 14 was extremely good,” Scheffler said.

“That was one of the craziest pins that I’ve seen.”

Scheffler compared the hole location to balancing a golf ball on top of a microphone, describing a putting surface so severe even perfectly struck putts barely held their line.

“If you don’t start that perfectly online, it’s probably not touching the hole,” he explained.

The two-time Masters champion did not hide his surprise at just how aggressively PGA officials pushed Aronimink’s hole locations throughout the opening rounds.

“This is the hardest set of pin locations that I’ve seen since I’ve been on TOUR,” Scheffler said.

“That includes U.S. Opens, that includes Oakmont.”

Scheffler revealed he sought perspective from veteran caddies on whether they had witnessed setups quite this demanding before.

“They said maybe Shinnecock is the only place they have seen that has pins that could compare to this,” he added.

Despite the severity of the setup, Scheffler refused to label the conditions unfair, instead embracing the challenge of solving what he repeatedly described as golf’s hardest puzzle.

“I think it’s the hardest game in the world and still just trying to solve a bit of the puzzle,” Scheffler said.

The world No.1 explained patience became the key skill throughout the round, particularly with swirling winds and greens that punished even slightly conservative or aggressive approaches.

“You really have to choose your moments when you’re going to try and maybe get after a pin or try and play a little bit smarter,” he said.

“There’s sometimes, especially around a golf course like this, where you’re going to hit some good shots that aren’t quite good enough, and you get punished pretty severely for it.”

Scheffler also pointed to the tightly bunched leaderboard as evidence Aronimink is demanding complete control rather than simply rewarding aggression.

“I think that’s what is great about the harder tests,” Scheffler said.

“A lot of times you see somebody figure it out.”

That player on Friday was fellow American Chris Gotterup, whose brilliant 65 stunned much of the field. Scheffler was full of praise for the rising star, particularly his temperament.

“One thing that has impressed me about him is just his attitude,” Scheffler said.

“He’s not a guy that’s really going to get very flustered.”