Rory McIlroy blasts past Xander Schauffele to win Wells Fargo

Rory McIlroy waited for his second Sunday at Quail Hole. And when the second got here, he didn’t cease.

McIlroy went on a tear via the center of the ultimate spherical of the Wells Fargo Championship, making two eagles to play an eight-hole stretch in eight underneath and switch a one-shot deficit to Xander Schauffele to begin the day right into a five-shot win. In accordance with stats guru Justin Ray, it’s McIlroy’s 14th come-from-behind win, six greater than some other participant since 2010.

The World No. 2 completed at 17 underneath after a final-round 65 for his fourth profession victory at Quail Hole. It’s additionally McIlroy’s twenty sixth PGA Tour victory and formally his second in a row after he received the Zurich Basic workforce occasion with Shane Lowry two weeks in the past.

“Quail Hole, Charlotte basically has been actually good to me over my profession and that is simply one other nice day to form of add to all the remainder of them,” McIlroy mentioned. “I really feel like these folks have form of watched me develop up from successful right here as a 20-year-old to being the ripe previous age of 35 now. They’ve form of seen my development all through my profession, and I’ve been fortunate sufficient to win right here 4 instances. The help that I get right here is completely wonderful.”

The final time McIlroy received his final two begins heading into a significant was earlier than his most up-to-date main title on the 2014 PGA Championship, performed at Valhalla, this yr’s host website.

McIlroy birdied the primary gap Sunday to shortly pull even with Schauffele, who had led alone for a lot of the event after opening with 64. However after Schuaffele transformed a mid-length eagle putt on the seventh and McIlroy three-putted for par, the 34-year-old Northern Irishman discovered himself two again.

That’s when he turned on the jets, birdieing the eighth and ninth to drag even on the flip. When he drilled a 34-putt for eagle on the tenth, McIlroy had the result in himself.

“That was a giant second on 7,” McIlroy mentioned. “I three-putted, Xander made an eagle. Then Xander was inside me on 8, I knew I actually wanted to gap that putt simply to attempt to keep or sustain with him. Then he missed his, I birdied mine after which I simply went on a run that for no matter purpose I’m in a position to go on at this golf course.”

McIlroy by no means appeared again as he added birdies at 13 and 14 earlier than he holed a bunker shot on 15 for a second eagle, each approaching the again 9 par-5s, for the exclamation level.

By the 18th, McIlroy was up by seven, that means that when his second shot bounced previous the pin and into the water past the inexperienced, it was inconsequential. McIlroy’s closing double bogey took nothing away from the ovation he obtained after holing the ultimate putt on the identical inexperienced the place he accomplished his first PGA Tour win.

Schauffele couldn’t hold tempo, making three back-nine bogeys, however his even-par 71 was adequate to complete three away from Ben An, who shot 66 Sunday to take solo third. Sunday marked yet one more shut name for Schauffele, the World No. 4, who hasn’t received for the reason that 2022 Scottish Open. Whereas he strikes to second within the FedEx Cup standings, he additionally blew the 54-hole lead on the Gamers Championship and now strikes to two-for-eight when holding the 54-hole lead in his PGA Tour profession.

“He performed unbelievable,” Schauffele mentioned of McIlroy. “[I] appeared up on the board and I’m like, dang, he’s six underneath via 6 on the again 9, it’s one thing else. With that being mentioned, general I felt like I used to be doing fairly properly for a lot of the day after which had that expensive stretch and he capitalized like no different. Massive reversal there.”

For McIlroy, his win capped one other tumultuous week referring to the continuing negotiations between the PGA Tour and the Saudi Arabian Public Funding Fund. He revealed this week that he wouldn’t be rejoining the PGA Tour Coverage Board after beforehand asserting his return following a resignation within the fall.

As an alternative, it was reported McIlroy will serve on the Transaction Subcommittee that may negotiate with PIF.

McIlroy additionally denied a reported rift between himself and Tiger Woods.

However McIlroy’s consideration will now flip to Valhalla, the place he seeks to win his first main title in 10 years, having completed within the high 10 in seven of his final 9 majors. McIlroy, World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and defending PGA champion Brooks Koepka have now all received of their closing begin prematurely of the yr’s second main.

Jack Hirsh

Golf.com Editor

Jack Hirsh is an assistant editor at GOLF. A Pennsylvania native, Jack is a 2020 graduate of Penn State College, incomes levels in broadcast journalism and political science. He was captain of his highschool golf workforce and not too long ago returned to this system to function head coach. Jack additionally nonetheless *tries* to stay aggressive in native amateurs. Earlier than becoming a member of GOLF, Jack spent two years working at a TV station in Bend, Oregon, primarily as a Multimedia Journalist/reporter, but additionally producing, anchoring and even presenting the climate. He may be reached at [email protected].