Quail Hollow is special for many top PGA Tour golfers
Before his first Masters in 2009, Rory McIlroy was coached by Johnny Harris.
Harris, the president of Quail Hollow Club, and his family knew McIlroy long before he became a three-time winner of the Wells Fargo Championship. They built a relationship with him, and Harris took him under his wing before the eventual four-time major winner headed to compete on the iconic course in Augusta, Ga., for the first time.
McIlroy traveled to the yearly event held at Harris’ golf course in Charlotte the following year — and collected his first win at a PGA Tour event in memorable fashion.
“I feel like Charlotte has sort of taken me in as one of their own,” McIlroy told reporters. “It’s been a great journey. I’ve celebrated, like, 13 of my last 15 birthdays here, as well, just because of obviously when the tournament falls.
“It’s been a great place for me, and some awesome memories. Trying to keep making more of those.”
A COURSE THAT HAS BREEDS CHAMPIONS
McIlroy is tied for second at 4- under-par, alongside Collin Morikawa and Alex Noren — after Day 1 of this year’s tournament. Xander Schauffele, at 7-under, leads the Wells Fargo Championship entering Friday’s second round.
“You have to sharpen up your game,” said Noren, a 41-year
old Swedish native. “It teaches us that you can’t just hit one shot all the time. … I like coming here. I like playing practice rounds. It kind of gets you on your toes.”
The only other golfer to win the event multiple times is Max Homa, who’s tied for 12th.
Homa had been ranked as the No. 417 golfer in the world the week he won the Wells Fargo Championship in 2019, his first career victory at a PGA Tour event. He’d missed the cut in 43 of his 68 PGA tournaments before.
Also the winner of the 2022 Wells Fargo Championship that was moved to Potomac, Md., this event has played a key role in the growth of Homa, who recently tied for third place at The Masters.
That iteration of this tournament two years ago allowed Quail Hollow to host the President’s Cup in the fall — where Homa won all four matches with his U.S. team.
EVERY SHOT MATTERS AT QUAIL HOLLOW
Competing on a course
like Quail Hollow helps golfers elevate their own game.
It forces them to focus on every shot, compared to other courses, where stronger golfers mayrely on one specific way of driving the ball. But at Quail Hollow, the golf ball
feels more likely to unpredictably bounce away from them.
Morikawa, the 27-yearold who has already won a pair of majors, is competing at Quail Hollow for just the second time. Fresh off tying for third place at this year’s
Masters, Charlotte’s course provides a unique test for one of golf’s rising stars.
“It’s a big boy’s golf course,” Morikawa said. “It’s very, very tough off the tee, and the fairways are on the wider end of what we might see. But
with the firm greens, you’ve got to be able to hit your spots and really be able to score with your mid to long irons — especially for a guy like me.”