PGA TOUR
Wells Fargo Championship
McIlroy Wins Third Wells Fargo Championship in Drama
Victory appeared routine for Rory McIlroy when entered the final hole of the Wells Fargo Championship with a two-shot lead. However, that was before he struck his tee shot at Quail Hollow’s 18th hole—ranked the most difficult hole on the course all week. The stage was set for a dramatic ending!
The 32-year-old from Holywood, Northern Ireland hooked his 3-wood from the tee inside the hazard guarding the left side of the fairway. After taking a penalty drop, McIlroy blasted an 8-iron from the thick rough to find the green and lie 44 feet from the hole. Two putts later, McIlroy secured a narrow one shot win over Mexico’s Abraham Ancer. It was a tighter victory than it needed to be!
The win was McIroy’s 19th PGA Tour title and third success at the Wells Fargo Championship. He claimed his maiden PGA Tour victory at the event in 2010 and won again in 2015. It marks the first time in his PGA Tour career he has won the same event three times. This week was his first win on the PGA Tour since the 2019 WGC-HSBC Champions.
McIlroy began the final round two shots behind America’s Keith Mitchell. He covered the front nine in 33 shots with two unanswered birdies. He made the turn in a share of the lead with former US Open champion Gary Woodland and one shot clear of Mitchell.
McIlroy pushed ahead of the field after tap-in birdies at the 14th and 15th holes. He was bogey-free until his mistake at the last cost him a bogey. McIlroy posted rounds of 72, 66, 68 and 68 to reach 10-under.
Ancer produced the best round of the day with a flawless 5-under 66 advancing him to outright second place at 9-under. The 2018 Australian Open champion was searching for his maiden win on the PGA Tour. He enjoyed a share of the lead briefly after pouring in his third birdie in a row at the 17th hole.
Mitchell’s attempt to collect his second PGA Tour win ended when he made a bogey at the par 3, 17th hole. He closed with a 1-over par round to finish at 8-under. Norway’s Viktor Hovland joined Mitchell in a share of third place after closing with a superb bogey-free 4-under 68. It was the second consecutive week Hovland has finished T3.
Woodland fell off the lead with bogeys at the 12th and 13th holes. He finished at 7-under and in outright fifth place.
Cameron Davis was the best-placed Australian. The 26-year-old finished the week at even par and in a tie for 26th place.
Bryson DeChambeau was forced to take a 2:45am flight on Saturday morning to make his third round tee time. The 27-year-old American carded a disappointing 3-over 74 on Friday to sit at 2-over par after 36 holes. At the time, the cut was projected at even par or, 1-over at best. Figuring he had no chance to make the weekend, DeChambeau boarded a private jet for the 1,600-kilometer flight home to Dallas. He arrived in Dallas three hours later, the cut line had moved to 2 over and, DeChambeau re-gathered himself to get back to Quail Hollow. The reigning US Open champion posted rounds of 68 and 68 over the weekend. He finished the event at 4-under and in a tie for ninth place. DeChambeau moved to No. 1 on the FedExCup standings.
Phil Michelson, aged 50, enjoyed a blistering round on Thursday. Lefty fired 7-under 64 to build a two-shot lead after the opening round. That marked Mickelson’s 30th career opening-round lead, which is the second most on Tour since 1992. It had been 840 days since he had a lead or co-lead after a tournament’s opening round. Mickelson then carded rounds of 75, 76 ad 76 to move to 7-over for the week. He dropped to outright 69th place.
Jon Rahm started the week with the longest active streak of consecutive cuts made at 22. The Spaniard failed to make the weekend by two shots after rounds of 76 and 70 (+4).
The PGA Tour moves to Texas for the AT&T Bryon Nelson at TPC Craig Ranch. Sung Kang is the defending champion.
Final Scores
Wells Fargo Championship
1. Rory McIlroy -10
2. Abraham Ancer -9
T3. Viktor Hovland -8
T3. Keith Mitchell -8
5. Gary Woodland -7
T6. Luke List -5
T6. Matt Wallace -5
T6. Patrick Reed -5
Australians
T26. Cameron Davis E
T37. Matt Jones +1
MC. Cameron Percy
MC. Jason Day
MC. Lucas Herbert
Photo credit: Jared C. Tilton /Getty Images
