McIlroy on launch pad

RORY McILROY’S preparations for the USPGA Championship at Quail Hollow included a bizarre photo shoot in which he dressed in a space suit and proceeded to hit drives off the tee.

Despite the outfit McIlroy still managed the ping the ball more than 300 yards down the fairway and the confidence the Northern Irishman has in his swing led to his chirpy mood as he discussed bookmakers making him favourite to win the title for a third time.

“I have played this tournament eight times and won two, so 8-2 sounds decent value for me this week,” he said. “The thing is I am not putting that much pressure on myself.

“I am going to go out and enjoy it, enjoy a course where I have played well before.

“At the Masters, there are always a few more nerves. Then at the US Open, I was probably a little under-prepared. And at the Open, I made a terrible start but was able to recover from that.

“So, hopefully I will start a little better this week but even if I don’t, I can take heart from what I did at the Open after an average start.”

Enhancing those odds is the fact no one playing in the year’s final Major enjoys a better record at Quail Hollow than McIlroy.

McIlroy has won twice on the suburban Charlotte course in North Carolina – first in 2010 and then again in 2015. McIlroy got his first look at the revamped and now par 71 layout by playing 18 holes on Monday.

He again played the same number of holes, despite some rain, on day two of official practice.

And McIlroy has said he will carry three instead of four wedges into the final Major of the year, replacing one of them with a three iron.

THE BMW PGA Championship will move from its current date in May to a new September slot from the 2019 season, the European Tour has announced.

The decision follows the USPGA Championship’s switch from August to May.