Rory McIlroy enjoyed the perfect preparation for the US PGA Championship by cruising to a dominant victory at the Wells Fargo Championship on the PGA TOUR.
The Northern Irishman carded a six-under-par 65 in the final round at Quail Hollow on Sunday to finish five shots clear of runner-up Xander Schauffele in Charlotte, North Carolina.
It is his 26th PGA TOUR title, his fourth at the event, and second success in as many starts stateside, following victory alongside Shane Lowry at last month’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans.
McIlroy, previously a winner at Quail Hollow in 2010, 2015 and 2021, will now look to claim his fifth Major Championship title at Valhalla Golf Club, scene of his last one in 2014.
"I really got some confidence winning in New Orleans with Shane (Lowry)," he said in his post-round interview.
"Coming into this week, at a golf course I am comfortable at, my golf swing feels a lot more comfortable than it has done so going to a venue next week where I have won... it feels like the stars are aligning a little bit but I have got a lot of golf to play and a lot of great players to beat next week but I go into the next Major of the year feeling really good about myself."
After rounds of 67-68-67 over the first three rounds, McIlroy began the final day's play one shot adrift of American Schauffele at the PGA TOUR's Signature Event.
But the World Number Two birdied the first to move level at 12 under par, before dropping one adrift again with a bogey at the par-three fourth.
And while Schauffele, who fell behind with a bogey four at the sixth, briefly moved two shots clear with an eagle at the seventh, McIlroy hit back with back-to-back birdies at the eighth and ninth as the last two winner's of the Genesis Scottish Open hit the turn level pegging.
McIlroy maintained the ascendency with an eagle at the par-five tenth, moving into the lead again as Schauffele could only manage a birdie.
As Schauffele lost further ground with back-to-back bogeys at the 12th and 13th, McIlroy continued to move through the gears as he birdied the 13th and 14th before holing out from a greenside bunker at the par-five 15th to move six shots clear.
That advantage quickly became seven when Schauffele dropped another shot at the 16th, and while McIlroy made a double bogey at the last after finding water, he emerged a comfortable winner in what had been expected to be a tight final-day tussle.
In the other event on the PGA TOUR, the Myrtle Beach Classic, DP World Tour dual members Ryan Fox and Jorge Campillo finished in a tie for fourth in South Carolina as American Chris Gotterup won his first PGA TOUR title.
