Rory McIlroy celebrates winning on the 18th green during the final round of the 2021 Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow in Charlotte, North Carolina. Photo: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
Rory McIlroy celebrates winning on the 18th green during the final round of the 2021 Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow in Charlotte, North Carolina. Photo: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
Rory McIlroy looks like a serious contender for next week’s PGA Championship after he claimed his third Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow to end his 18-month victory drought.
Just a month after starting work with new coach Pete Cowen, the world No 15 combined some vintage tee to green play with stellar putting, carding a three-under 68 to win his 19th PGA Tour title on 10-under par, one stroke ahead of Abraham Ancer.
Not only did he take his career tournament earnings to $56.36 million, he threw down a serious marker ahead of the second Major of the year at Kiawah Island, where he won by eight shots nine years ago.
The win was not without drama as he took a two-shot lead to the 18th but drove on the bank of the stream and was talked into taking a penalty drop by caddie Harry Diamond before hitting a stellar 200-yard approach to the heart of the green and two-putting from 44 feet for his first win as a father.
Rory McIlroy, left, laughs with his caddie Harry Diamond during his victory in the 2021 Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
“It’s never easy,” an emotional McIlroy said at the finish on what was Mother’s Day in the United States.
“It’s felt like a long time since that win in China in 2019. The world is a completely different place than it used to be, everyone getting through a pandemic. Life has changed a lot for me being a dad, winning on Mother’s Day, thinking of Erica, thinking of my Mum back home.
“It just feels awesome and this is one of my favourite places in the world and to break the drought and to win here again, it’s awesome. It’s awesome to play in front of these people again. When we came back from the pandemic, I thought I’d enjoy the peace and quiet but I realised to bring the best out of myself, I need this.
“I feed off the energy so much, maybe here more so than anywhere else just because it’s the first place I’ve won three times. The crowd has been awesome all week and they really carried me through today.”
He began the final round tied for second with Gary Woodland on seven-under, two strokes behind Keith Mitchell.
But as Mitchell followed an opening birdie with back-to-back bogeys at the fifth and sixth, McIlroy birdied the third and then watched a 25-foot left to right curler drop in at the seventh to turn in 33 and grab a share the lead with Woodland on nine-under.
After making an 11-footer for par at the 13th, he got up and down from sand for birdie at the driveable 14th to lead on his own, then got up and down again from more sand for birdie on the par-five 15th to stretch his advantage to two strokes on 11-under heading down the Green Mile.
The closing three holes are amongst the most difficult on the PGA Tour but McIlroy pencilled in two pars and that clutch bogey five at the last.
Séamus Power closed with a one-under 70 to finish 54th on four-over with Shane Lowry 65th on six-over after a 71.
It was also a great day on the European Tour for Royal Dublin’s Niall Kearney, who flirted with a magical 59 before carding a course record-equalling, 10-under 61 to clinch a career-best tie for fourth in the Canary Islands Championship in Tenerife.
The Dubliner (33) has been battling to make the grade for the past 12 years, but after 21 visits to the Qualifying School – 11 in Europe and 10 in Asia – he’s got a great chance now to secure his full European Tour card.
His first career top-10 catapulted him straight into the field for this week’s €2 million Betfred British Masters at The Belfry and up 74 spots to 99th in the Race to Dubai with the top 115 keeping their cards next year.
“Obviously, it’s great, a real positive,” said Kearney (33), who made an eagle, nine birdies in his first 16 holes and needed two closing birdies for a 59 but had to settle for two pars.
“It’s massive because it gets me in next week, and hopefully, I will get a few more starts, and I can climb that Race to Dubai and hold on to a card.”
Kearney won €51,014 with his Dad Joe on his bag as he finished on 19-under par, eight shots behind budding superstar Garrick Higgo.
The South African (21) won for the second time during the three-week Canary Islands swing, and the sixth time in just 47 career starts, making seven birdies and a hole-in-one at the seventh in a seven-under 64 to win by six strokes from Australian Maverick Antcliff and soar to 52nd in the world.
“It’s unreal,” said Higgo, who won the Gran Canaria Lopesan Open two weeks ago. “I can’t believe it has happened so quickly again, but my game has been good so I can believe it as well."
That Higgo already has six wins shows the level of competition facing Kearney.
But he insists he’s never lost his enthusiasm for the game or been tempted to throw in the towel.
“We all know that this game is not necessarily fair, but I’ve put in a lot of work over a long period of time, there’s no doubt,” said Kearney made all three cuts in the Canaries, banking over €70,000.
“I’ve never had thoughts of doing anything else. I still love playing, I still love I love competing, I love the element of competition, so once I still have that love affair with it, I will keep going.”
Paul Dunne made 25 birdies in four rounds, but too many mistakes led to a closing 72 and a share of 45th on 10-under.
Meanwhile, Michael Hoey tied for 14th on 11-under in the Dimension Data Pro-Am, closing with a one-under 71 to finish eight shots behind Wilco Nienaber at Fancourt Golf Estate.
The South African shot 65 before overcoming Swede Henric Sturehed, who shot 66, with a par on the third playoff hole.
In the opening senior Major of the year, the Regions Tradition at Greystone Golf and Country Club in Alabama, Darren Clarke closed with a level par 72 to finish tied eighth on eight-under.
He was 10 strokes outside a playoff for the title that saw Alex Cejka beat Steve Stricker with a birdie four at the first extra hole after they had tied on 18-under after respective rounds of 67 and 68.