McIlroy charges back to win Quail Hollow
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Rory McIlroy, the only golfer to win the Wells Fargo Championship multiple times, can add “three-time Wells Fargo winner,” to his resume.
McIlroy, a four-time major champion, fired a 3-under 68 in the final round of the tournament Sunday to finish at 10-under for the tournament, winning by one stroke over hard-charging Abraham Ancer, who shot a final-round 66. Third-round leader Keith Mitchell faded to a tie for third with Viktor Hovland third after carding a final-round 1-overpar 72.
It was McIlroy’s first win on the PGA Tour since Aug. 25, 2019, and first Wells Fargo Championship win since 2015 when he dominated the field by seven strokes. He also won the tournament in 2010.
“It just feels awesome,” McIlroy said. “This is one of my favorite places in the world. It’s great to win again. It’s awesome.”
McIlroy, the former world No. 1 golfer, entered Sunday’s final round trailing Mitchell by two strokes. The golfers were paired together in the final group.
McIlroy didn’t make many mistakes down the stretch, and when he did, he found a way out of it.
On the par-5 seventh, McIlroy hit his first shot into the rough under a tree. He got his second shot onto the fairway, his third shot 20 feet from the hole — and he made the 20-foot putt for a birdie.
It was his first lead of the day, and although he was tied multiple times during the final round, he never fell completely out of the lead again.
He birdied 14, which gave him the outright lead for good.
He made things interesting at 18 when he hit his drive far left into deep rough near a small creek. He took a drop and hit his next shot about 43 feet from the hole and twoputted to earn the win.
McIlroy, 32, now has 19 PGA Tour wins, which is 39th all-time, and Sunday’s result gave him a muchneeded confidence boost.