Daily TribuneThe Northern Irishman was the only player to go bogey-free in Saturday’s third round and he was at his very best with a driver in hand.
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - MAY 11: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland hits an approach shot on the 18th hole during the third round of the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow Country Club on May 11, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Andrew Redington / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP
WASHINGTON (AFP) — Rory McIlroy charged into contention at the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow, with his four-under-par round of 67 bringing him within a shot of leader Xander Schauffele heading into Sunday’s final round.
Schauffele, who held a four-stroke lead heading into Saturday’s round, shot a one-under 70 to leave him 12-under through 54 holes.
A week that began with yet more talk of McIlroy’s role in trying to bridge golf’s divide with the Saudi-backed LIV Golf League, with confusion over a potential return to the PGA Tour’s policy board, will end with the world number two battling for his second title of the season.
It would also be his fourth win at the Charlotte, North Carolina course, scene of his first victory on the PGA Tour back in 2010.
The Northern Irishman was the only player to go bogey-free in Saturday’s third round and he was at his very best with a driver in hand.
McIlroy’s decision to compete two weeks ago at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans team event was seen by some as simply a gesture of commitment to the PGA Tour from a player who has positioned himself as one of its biggest defenders.
But McIlroy insisted that the tournament, which he won with Shane Lowry, would help him find form after his disappointing showing at the Masters and his performance in North Carolina has, so far, entirely justified that decision.
McIlroy is the best in the field in strokes gained off the tee and in driving distance this week and his opening birdie came on the par-4 fifth when he hammered his drive 341 yards down the fairway before landing his chip four feet from the hole.
He birdied again on the par-4, ninth, where his 180-yard iron shot left him a ten-foot putt and he was immaculate all-round on the par-5 10th.
His final birdie came on the par-4 14th and after his round McIlroy was quick to credit his experience in Louisiana last month for his outstanding driving rather than his sessions with veteran coach Butch Harmon.
“I would say that’s a direct result of some of the feelings I got in New Orleans a couple of weeks ago. A lot of the stuff Butch and I worked on was more like iron play and wedges,” he said.
