Rory McIlroy believes he is a better player than his last major triumph a decade ago as he warmed up for the PGA Championship with his fourth Wells Fargo Championship win.
A stunning back nine from the Northern Irishman in Sunday’s final round at Quail Hollow, which included eagles on the 10th and 15th holes, saw him finish five shots clear of nearest challenger Xander Schaffele.
McIlroy now returns to Valhalla for this week’s PGA Championship, scene of his most recent major victory in 2014, and the 35-year-old insists he is much improved from then even though glory in the sport’s headline events has since eluded him.
“I’ve been sort of banging this drum for the last few years, but I’m a way better player now than I was back then,” said McIlroy, looking ahead to the second men’s major of the year, which is live on Sky Sports.
“I haven’t had the major record to back that up, but I’ve had the wins, I’ve done everything else there is to do in the game since 2014.
“The only thing I need to do is get another major. You know, a win like this going into the PGA Championship next week is a good way to prep for that.”
McIlroy’s victory in North Carolina came amid the backdrop of his proposed return to the PGA Tour policy board as one of its six player members being blocked.
He admitted the situation had been playing on his mind, yet had no problems focusing when out on the course competing.
“There is, but at the same time I think getting inside the ropes for that four or five hours or whatever it is a day, it’s a nice escape from everything else that’s going on in the world of golf,” McIlroy said.
“I don’t mind it; I’ve always been able to compartmentalize pretty well. I seem to for whatever reason play very good golf whenever I have a lot of stuff going on.
“I don’t know if I need that just to, when I get on the course, really focus on what I’m doing out there, but it seems to work.”
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McIlroy took the lead at the Wells Fargo Championship with a ‘stress-free’ 50-foot eagle putt
McIlroy’s Wells Fargo Championship win followed his and Shane Lowry’s triumph in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans team event, and it has some symmetry with 2014 when he won on his two starts prior to claiming a second PGA Championship crown.
Then held in August and the final major of the year, McIlroy went into the tournament having triumphed in The Open and the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational back-to-back, and that was not lost on him after his latest PGA Tour win.
“It’s really funny,” McIlroy said. “Going into Valhalla in 2014 I had won my last two starts and going into this year I’ve won my last two starts.
“I just need to try to replicate whatever I did in 2014, just try to do that all over again.
“I’m feeling really good with my game. I need to stay in my own little world next week and not get too far ahead of myself, but if you can step on to the first tee at Valhalla on Thursday and feel as good about my game as I did today, I think I’ll have a good chance.”
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