McIlroy followed Wells Fargo Championship victories in 2010 and 2015 with a one-shot win in the 2021 contest; can the 20-time PGA Tour winner successfully defend his title? Watch throughout the week live on Sky Sports Golf
Tuesday 3 May 2022 06:22, UK
Rory McIlroy returns to action for the first time since The Masters this week at the Wells Fargo Championship, live on Sky Sports, a tournament where he has enjoyed more success than any other.
The four-time major champion has taken four weeks off since his runner-up finish at Augusta National, where a superb final-round 64 helped him produce his best result of the year and get within three strokes of champion Scottie Scheffler.
McIlroy's appearance in North Carolina comes at the event where he has registered three of his 20 PGA Tour titles, the only 72-hole tournament he has won more than twice, with the 32-year-old arriving as one of the pre-tournament favourites as he chases a first victory of the year.
The former world No 1 secured his maiden PGA Tour title in the 2010 contest and won by a record-breaking margin in 2015, before ending an 18-month trophy drought with a dramatic success in last year's contest.
Ahead of McIlroy's title defence at TPC Potomac, being used while Quail Hollow - the tournament's usual home - prepares to host the Presidents Cup later in the year, we look back at his three Wells Fargo Championship victories…
McIlroy claimed his maiden PGA Tour victory in record-breaking fashion at Quail Hollow, with the then 20-year-old finishing four clear of the chasing pack after a remarkable weekend display.
The Northern Irishman converted an eagle late into his second round just to make the cut on the number, nine strokes off the pace, before a six-under 66 on Saturday saw McIlroy go into the final round four behind.
Few could have predicted the outcome after McIlroy played the first six holes in one under, only for him to close out a front-nine 32 with three straight birdies from the seventh and pick up further shots at the 11th and 14th.
McIlroy made a close-range eagle at the next to pull ahead and extended his advantage with a birdie at the 16th, before signing off his first PGA Tour victory in style by pouring in a 40-footer on his closing hole.
The impressive finish saw him complete a final-round 62 and made him the youngest PGA Tour winner at the time since Tiger Woods, with the final putt leading to Jim Nantz delivering that iconic commentary line: "Welcome to the big time, Rory McIlroy."
Coming into the week as world No 1, McIlroy broke his own course record on his way to a dominant seven-stroke victory and 11th PGA Tour success.
McIlroy headed into the weekend three strokes off the pace but surged up the leaderboard with an 11-under 61, pushing four clear of the rest of the field.
Nine birdies in a 10-hole stretch from the seventh had left McIlroy edging towards a potential '59 round', only for him to close his second blemish-free card in succession with back-to-back pars.
A three-under 69 on Sunday saw McIlroy finish the week on 21 under - the 72-hole record for the tournament - extending his cushion over nearest challengers Webb Simpson and Patrick Rodgers.
McIlroy came into the tournament holding his lowest ranking since November 2009, having come into the event off of a missed cut at The Players, a group-stage exit from the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play and another early exit at The Masters.
He gave little indication of a possible change in form as he opened with a one-over 72, before a second-round 66 propelled him up the leaderboard and saw him make his first cut in nearly two months.
A three-under 68 kept him within two shots of the lead going into the final day, where McIlroy followed a birdie at the third and 25-foot gain at the seventh by adding consecutive birdies from the 13th to seemingly take control of the tournament.
McIlroy took a two-shot lead into the final hole but brought a play-off into the equation when he pulled his drive a long way left and into unplayable rough inside the hazard, where he considered gouging the ball back into play before agreeing with caddie Harry Diamond and taking a drop.
The decision allowed McIlroy to reach the green in three and two-putt from 45 feet for a winning bogey, with a final-round 68 enough to finish one ahead of Mexico's Abraham Ancer and end a winless run stretching back to November 2019.
Will McIlroy enjoy more success at the Wells Fargo Championship? Watch throughout the week live on Sky Sports Golf. Live coverage begins with Featured Groups on Thursday from 11.45am.
