Rory McIlroy’s captivating performance on Sunday propelled him to victory at the Wells Fargo Championship, securing his fourth career title at the event. Despite trailing by two shots after seven holes, McIlroy was able to make a comeback with a display of four birdies and two eagles in the following eight holes, closing the day with a six-shot lead over his closest rival, Xander Schauffele.
McIlroy’s stellar round concluded with a six-under 65, comfortably outpacing American Schauffele by five shots at Quail Hollow. McIlroy’s triumph marks his second consecutive PGA title, following his recent victory at the Zurich Classic alongside Shane Lowry.
Reflecting on his recent success, McIlroy expressed confidence and optimism as he prepares for the upcoming US PGA Championship at Valhalla, a venue where he clinched his most recent major victory in 2014. “I really got some confidence winning in New Orleans with Shane,” he remarked, emphasising his comfort with the golf course and the improvement in his golf swing.
The final round started with McIlroy making a birdie on the first hole, which then saw him tie with overnight leader Schauffele at 12 under. Errors on both sides saw them drop to 11 under after the sixth, before an eagle on the seventh saw Schauffele move up to 13 under. But he did not lead the pack for long as he was joined shortly by the Northern Irishman by the ninth.
The rest of the nine holes were good for him as after an eagle and birdie later, McIlroy was comfortably at the lead. An eagle at the 15th all but sealed things for him and he continued to sail through. Abogey on the last hole tainted much of the fine play he had made that day, however it did nothing to prevent McIlroy from going him with the title.
With anticipation building for the next major of the year, McIlroy feels that the “stars are aligning,” buoyed by his recent form and familiarity with the tournament venue. However, he remains grounded, acknowledging the formidable competition ahead and the challenge of maintaining his momentum against a field of exceptional players.
