McIlroy returns to competition at Wells Fargo
Rory McIlroy is returning to competition for the first time since the Masters but lost amid talk of the Premier Golf League and the PGA Tour’s Player Impact Program is his superb record at Quail Hollow, the venue for this week’s Wells Fargo Championship.
Eleven years ago, McIlroy celebrated the first of now 18 PGA Tour victories after posting a new course record 62 on the final day to capture the 2010 Quail Hollow Championship, as it was known then.
Rory McIlroy talks ahead of his PGA Return (Credit: PGA Tour)
Five years later, McIlroy stormed to a seven-shot success in winning the 2015 Wells Fargo Championship for his 11th Tour triumph.
However, the now World No. 15 has returned not having tasted success since capturing the 2019 WGC – HSBC Championship in Shanghai, and well over 500 days ago.
Though there’s nothing like returning to a venue where you’ve not only won but finished first on two occasions. McIlroy has won twice at the same venue on six occasions in his career.
And in a week where he celebrated turning 32, McIlroy spoke of his delight in returning to Quail Hollow.
“It’s always great to come back to Quail Hollow. So many great memories here,” he said
“A first win on Tour and then winning again in ’15, being a part of a pretty exciting play-off in ’12, and basically celebrating every birthday here for the last 10 years, apart from last year because of the pandemic.”
We know McIlroy has added Pete Cowen to his coaching team and he spoke of how he’s getting back to working ‘on his strengths’ in now working with the quietly-spoken Englishman
“I feel better about my game than I did flying home from Augusta on Friday night, put it that way,” McIlroy said.
“I’ve worked a little bit on it, sort of just tried to understand what I do well. I guess trying to sort of focus on my strengths.”
“I think I’ve neglected my strengths a little bit the past couple of months, and focusing more on those and focusing on what makes me a good golfer and how I swing the club and how I move the club.”
“It’s all familiar feelings. It’s all stuff that I’ve worked on before, but maybe just gotten away from a little bit by trying to focus on other things. I feel like I’m on a pretty good trajectory at the minute.”
McIlroy will tee it up overnight (AEST) alongside Patrick Reed and Stewart Cink, a two-time winner this season.
Jason Day will head the Australians at Quail Hollow and will joined by Cameron Percy, Matt Jones, Cameron Davis and Monday qualifier, Lucas Herbert, who fired a round of 5-under 65 to secure one of four spots in the field.
