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One of the best indicators of an elite golfer — a truly elite golfer — is their ability to turn a year around in a single week. World No. 1 Dustin Johnson did it last year when he shot three straight rounds of 78 or worse and then won three events to close out the year, including the Masters (in November). Rory McIlroy did it this week after missing three of his last five cuts at stroke-play events by winning the 2021 Wells Fargo Championship on Sunday at Quail Hollow for his 19th victory on the PGA Tour.
McIlroy took a Quail Hollow event for the third time in his career, and this year’s victory came on the back of a near-flawless weekend. Frankly, it was difficult to see coming no matter which way you looked.
McIlroy looked lost at both the Players Championship in March and the Masters in April, failing to make the weekend at both events for just the second time in his career He did not look all that great on Thursday this week, either, as he shot 1 over and finished 120th in the field from tee to green.
Then Rory made just three mistakes the rest of the way, finishing 66-68-68 to get to 10 under and beat Abraham Ancer by a single stroke. McIlroy made one miscue in each of his last three rounds, and the last one nearly cost him.
Standing on the 72nd hole with a two-stroke lead — having played menacing, almost perfect golf for the first 17 holes — he hit his drive up the left along the creek running up No. 18 and had to take an unplayable. From there, he was able to save a wild bogey and escape with the win, but as he said after his round, “It’s never easy.”
“Winning on Mother’s Day… thinking of Erica, thinking of my mother back home. It just feels awesome.”
Rory McIlroy talks with @Amanda_Balionis after securing his 19th career PGA TOUR win. pic.twitter.com/14bP4ojXOJ
The problem with McIlroy saying “it’s never easy”? Over the four hours leading up to that, he made it look like it was as simple as can be. Two shots stick out from the final round, and both were — uncharacteristically, when it comes to memorable shots by Rory McIlroy — out of greenside bunkers. The first was an up-and-down effort for birdie at the drivable par-4 14th. The second was an up and down for birdie at the par-5 15th. The latter gave him the cushion he would need at No. 18.
Rinse and repeat.
The lead is 2 with three holes remaining for @McIlroyRory. pic.twitter.com/JAa7Rr1jYK
The win made McIlroy, who had not won on the PGA Tour since the end of 2019, the immediate favorite at the PGA Championship at Kiawah Island in two weeks, and there are a few reasons for that. Not only did he win the last PGA Championship that was played at Kiawah back in 2012, but he plays golf at a level that is difficult to prognosticate.
In other words, what makes McIlroy one of the best of all-time — he matched Ernie Els’ 19 PGA Tour wins and four majors on Sunday — is that not even a handful of missed cuts or a mediocre Round 1 on Thursday serve as sherpas for where this thing is going.
When you play golf at McIlroy’s level, one found pearl or one unearthed nugget does not mean you are on the right trajectory again. One tweak does not mean you are on the road to recovery. No, one flip of the switch is much more meaningful when you are Rory McIlroy. Whatever he found between Round 1 and Round 2 means he’s capable of winning again — not just playing better — and it reminds everyone the threat he’s always posed has not changed at all, even if the results did for a short period of time. Grade: A+
Here are the rest of our grades for the 2021 Wells Fargo Championship.
Viktor Hovland (T3): After a mid-spring lull from Hovland, he’s heating back up heading into a busy summer. Following last week’s T3 at the Valspar Championship, Hovland followed it up with another one this week at Quail Hollow. Hovland was actually seventh from tee to green, which was slightly better than where McIlroy ended up on the week. Huge expectations for him going into the PGA Championship. Grade: A
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Bryson DeChambeau (T9): The Big Boy had a wild week. After thinking he missed the cut and returning to Dallas on Friday evening, he realized he’d misjudged where the final number would be and had to take a return flight at 3 a.m. ET on Saturday for his Round 3 tee time. He made the most of it by shooting 68-68 on the weekend and finished in the top 10 at a course where he should thrive for a long time. If not for the 18th hole (which he played in 3 over on Saturday and Sunday), he would have been in the mix on Sunday afternoon, which would have been a hilarious ending to a bizarre saga. Grade: B+
Phil Mickelson (69th): After playing the first 18 holes in 7 under, Lefty played the next 54 in 14 over. It was not pretty. He lit up the world in Round 1 and proceeded to lost 10 shots to the field over the next three days from tee to green alone. This is sort of emblematic of who he is at this point in his career, though: slivers of greatness followed by chasms of futility. It’s why he was hesitant to make any overtures about winning on Thursday and why winning high-level events (like the Wells Fargo or better) is going to be so difficult for him over the course of the rest of his insanely good career. Grade: B
A winning Mother’s Day for the McIlroy’s. 💗 pic.twitter.com/beOKPsQU54
In the last five hours:
DraftKings: +1400📉+1200
Fanduel: +1200📉+1000
William Hill: +1200 📉 +1000
Circa: +975 ➡️ +975 https://t.co/SPporb2WHZ
.@McIlroyRory was top-3 in the field this week in driving distance, greens in regulation, scrambling & strokes gained putting.
Of the 668 tournaments all-time measured by ShotLink, only 3 winners have done that
2005 Kenny Perry, Colonial
2015 Jason Day, Barclays
Rory this week
“Winning on Mother’s Day… thinking of Erica, thinking of my mother back home. It just feels awesome.”
Rory McIlroy talks with @Amanda_Balionis after securing his 19th career PGA TOUR win. pic.twitter.com/14bP4ojXOJ
First win as a dad.
First Mother’s Day for Erica McIlroy. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/l3R6OB6ctY
Rory led the field this week in scrambling (14-for-18), the 6th time in his @PGATOUR career he’s done that for an event.
4 of those 6 tournaments, he’s won, including the last time it happened – 2018 at Bay Hill.
This is the 5th time Rory McIlroy ranked in the top-3 in a tournament field in strokes gained putting (he ranked 3rd this week).
His finishes: 1st, 1st, 1st, 4th, 5th.
Back in the winner’s circle. 🙌 pic.twitter.com/k0oL5h8U59
RORY! RORY! RORY!
The @WellsFargoGolf champion: Rory McIlroy pic.twitter.com/nrv99C9LNE
Rory McIlroy wins the Wells Fargo Championship… hope you listened to @RickRunGood & @KylePorterCBS! pic.twitter.com/SI6YFsXDHn
.@McIlroyRory wins the @WellsFargoGolf for the 3rd time. It’s his 10th @PGATOUR win when trailing entering the final round, most of any player since 2010.
Most wins by international player, PGA Tour since 1950
Singh, 34
Player, 24
Norman, 20
McIlroy, 19
Els, 19
Return of the Rors. 🏆@McIlroyRory wins @WellsFargoGolf for the third time and his 19th career title. pic.twitter.com/9QGkQWx7On
2’3″ for Rory for the win
He’s 40-for-40 inside 3 feet this week.
Rors pic.twitter.com/VGbbpMNMEs
Worth mentioning now that the field is 210 over par on the 18th hole this week
Sitting bogey-free with a two-stroke lead, @McIlroyRory’s drive on 18 hangs up just outside of the creek. 😬 pic.twitter.com/1Wh3QlA16R
Wow, Rory just nearly hit it in the water on No. 18. Yanked his drive and nearly ended up in the creek. He should be fine, but yikes.
☕️🐸 pic.twitter.com/LTSck6UNFU
I blame myself https://t.co/OANknzQfEa
Rory has won his last start worldwide before the @PGAChampionship one time previously in his career.
2014, when he won at Valhalla.
pic.twitter.com/6gEIg3WsRW
Steve Stricker forces a playoff! pic.twitter.com/tNDRbbti3u
Rory birdies 15, and it is over. PGA Tour win No. 19 for Rory.
Up-and-down from the bunker for birdie.@McIlroyRory retakes sole possession of the lead at -10. pic.twitter.com/o0iF30WRxt
Rory gets to -10 with birdie at No. 14. Got up and down from the greenside bunker with a pretty nasty shot. He’s up one on Abe Ancer and Keith Mitchell.
A battle at the top of the leaderboard.
Abraham Ancer with an incredible run… 👏
📺 | CBS pic.twitter.com/S6A7uNugNy
Three straight birdies for @Abraham_Ancer. 👀 ⬆️
He joins the tie atop the leaderboard. pic.twitter.com/M6thoD1q1k
Wow, Abe Ancer ties it up with three straight birdies.
Hovland comes up short on No. 16 as he gets within one back. As long as one of the top two guys — Mitchell and McIlroy — birdies No. 16, Hovland will probably come up a bit short.
Bubba hit a screwball into 17. pic.twitter.com/71Yt1PPFMi
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