Rory McIlroy has set his sights on continuing his fantastic record at Quail Hollow Club when the fourth and final Major Championship of the season gets underway at the Charlotte golf course on Thursday...
The two-time US PGA Championship winner has not added to his four Major Championship titles since winning this tournament at Valhalla Golf Club in 2014 but he is confident that familiar surroundings in North Carolina will aid his bid for a fifth Major crown.
McIlroy has made six top-ten finishes in his seven appearances at the venue, including two victories in the Wells Fargo Championships in 2010 and 2015 and a play-off defeat to Rickie Fowler in 2012 at the same event.
"I've had a lot of success here before," he said. "I've always played well here. I've always felt comfortable on this golf course.
"It used to be you got through the first five holes here at one under or two under par and that was a decent start, and now you get through the first five holes at even par and that's when the golf course starts to open up for you.
"I still feel like the golf course gives you plenty of chances. It's going to play long this week with the weather. It will probably play a couple of strokes harder than it used to play, especially with the par going from a 72 to a 71.
"This has been a week I've been looking forward to for a long time and I'm glad it's here, and I'm glad I'm showing up for this week feeling like my game is in good shape, as well."
The 13-time European Tour winner heads into the US PGA Championship as one of the favourites after finishing fourth at the 146th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale and a fifth placed finish at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational last week and the Northern Irishman hopes he can live up to his pre-tournament tag.
"I think it's partly to do with the upturn in form that I've had over the last few weeks, and then my history on this golf course," he said.
"I definitely don't want to be in the mind-set this week of wanting to make any type of statement or go out and prove myself. I'm past that point. I've proven myself enough over the last nine years of my career.
"Obviously I wouldn't have won as much as I would have liked this year, and there's been a few components to that, injury-wise, changing equipment and stuff.
"It has been a bit of a transitional year. But I feel like everything's settled."
It was announced on Tuesday that the US PGA Championship will move from its August slot to May from the 2019 season. In response, the European Tour revealed that the BMW PGA Championship, which is usually held in May, will move to an Autumn date of Septmber in a shake-up of the global golfing calendar, something that the World Number Four advocates.
"I think it's great for the golf schedule," he added. "I think a May date for The PGA of America is a really good thing, and just from a player's perspective, to now have one really big tournament every month from March, The Players Championship, to the Masters Championship to the (US) PGA Championship to the US Open Championship to The Open Championship; it just has a better flow to it, I think.
"I've been a big supporter of it from the first time I heard about it, and the announcement today, I think has been very well received by a lot of the players in the locker room.
"I'm excited to play a schedule like that going forward. It should be good. Especially with Presidents Cup and The Ryder Cup now obviously every year, I think it just gives especially the American guys who have to play a team event every year, as well, it just gives them just a little bit more time.
"Overall, I think it's a great thing."
