MCILROY DEFENDING TITLE, BUT AT DIFFERENT COURSE
Wearing black rain pants on a soggy, foggy Wednesday morning, Rory McIlroy still had a bounce in his step and plenty of reasons to smile as he chatted with reporters, signed autographs and posed for selfies outside the clubhouse at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm.
He is coming off a careerbest runner-up finish at the Masters, thanks to a brilliant closing 64, and he has plenty of good memories from the Maryland suburbs of Washington.
A mile to the east at Congressional, McIlroy played what he still describes as the best golf of his life, an eight-shot victory in the 2011 U.S. Open.
“I was driving in here yesterday morning and going along whatever road that is and I looked left and I thought, ‘That looks like Congressional. Oh, that is Congressional,’ ” McIlroy said. “So, good vibes, obviously, from this area.”
McIlroy, who turned 33 on Wednesday, has a more recent title to defend this week at the Wells Fargo Championship, although he’ll have to do it on a course where he’s never competed. His victory last year was his third at Quail Hollow in Charlotte, N.C., but the tournament is making a one-year detour to TPC Potomac while its regular venue prepares to host the Presidents Cup in September.
McIlroy professes himself a fan of the tree-lined, trouble-heavy layout that’s had a mixed reputation during 35 years as an on-and-off PGA Tour venue.
“It’s just a solid golf course. You can’t really fake it around here,” McIlroy said. “You’ve got to hit the ball really well. Green complexes are tricky, pretty small targets. The rough maybe isn’t up as much as they usually have it here because of the time of year, but overall, really solid test.”
And a wet one, thanks to an inch of rain that fell in the early morning hours Wednesday. More rain is expected Friday and Saturday, along with cool temperatures and strong wind this weekend.
McIlroy won his four major championships in relatively soggy conditions, cementing a reputation as a mudder that he thinks is a bit unfair.
“I’ve won 30 times around the world. Not all those weeks were wet and rainy,” he said. “I think I’m pretty good in most conditions.”
He’s the chief attraction at TPC Potomac during a stretch of the PGA Tour schedule when top players are choosy about where they play, with three major championships looming in the next 10 weeks. McIlroy at No. 7 is the highest-ranked player in the field, followed by Tony Finau (No. 18) and Abraham Ancer (No. 20).
Westwood seeks release
Lee Westwood has requested a release to play the first event of the Saudifunded LIV Golf Invitational series in Britain next month.
Westwood said he has asked both the European tour and the PGA Tour for the release required to contest the $25 million event at Centurion Club from June 911.