Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
If he Putts it together he can win
RORY MCILROY needs to find a magic touch on the greens to contend at Quail Hollow.
He showed some brilliance off the tee at the Bridgestone and his ball striking was superb.
Add a hot putter to the tee-togreen equation and he has a big chance.
Rory has a great history at the US PGA with two of his four major triumphs coming at the tournament in 2012 and 2014.
He is also the all-time earnings leader at Quail Hollow and the course record holder after shooting a stunning 61 en route to winning the Wells Fargo two years ago.
The change to Bermuda grass will give him pause for thought, but going back to a happy hunting ground is bound to excite.
Two top fives in his last two starts will also give him reason to hope, as will the seamless transition he made to new caddie Harry Diamond who did a great job at Akron.
Rory admitted at The Open that three years without a major feels far too long for a player of his quality and he’ll be determined his barren spell doesn’t run into 2018.
His coach Michael Bannon isn’t in situ this week and that’s a great sign that all is well with his game. Things are trending in the right direction.
With a bit more fortune and finesse on the greens, Mcilroy has everything required to add a fifth major to his CV.