There seems to be real excitement for what Rory McIlroy could now achieve following his victory at The Masters earlier this month.
Rory McIlroy has removed the burden of going 11 years without winning a major. He has also written his name into golfing history by becoming only the sixth player to win the career grand slam.
It is no surprise that some are wondering whether the 35-year-old could win another major this year. And of course, the PGA Championship appears to be perfectly timed for the Northern Irishman.
McIlroy has won the PGA Championship on two occasions during his career. Meanwhile, this year’s event will take place at Quail Hollow – a place where McIlroy has won four times during his career.
Johnson Wagner tips Rory McIlroy to win the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow
He was outstanding on his way to winning the Wells Fargo Championship at the course this time last year. And no-one has won the event now known as the Truist Championship by a larger margin than McIlroy did when he triumphed in 2015.
And speaking on 5 Clubs, Johnson Wagner – who is a member at Quail Hollow – shared why he believes that McIlroy is on course to win another major following a conversation that they had at the Zurich Classic.
“He’s kept his body in good enough shape. I had a good conversation with him, I was on site in New Orleans, and on Wednesday during the pro-am, I caught up with him on the third hole and we’re walking and having a nice chat and he couldn’t get enough information from me about Quail Hollow,” he said.
“What’s the rough look like? What are the greens like? What’s this like? So it led me to believe, okay, probably going to take some time off after this week, get ready for the Truist, and make sure his game’s in good shape at Truist – obviously a win there would be nice – but he is now refocusing for the PGA Championship. And having that advantage he does around that golf course in the history, I fully expect him to be in contention and win that golf tournament.”
How Xander Schauffele reacted to Rory McIlroy’s stunning final round at Quail Hollow in 2024
One of McIlroy’s most impressive performances over the last 18 months came in the final round of the Wells Fargo Championship last year.
McIlroy began Sunday one shot behind Xander Schauffele. However, a 65 in the last round – which included four birdies and two eagles in an eight hole stretch – saw him win by five.
And Schauffele – who would win the PGA Championship shortly after – admitted that he felt like there was little he could do that to keep up with McIlroy that day.
“When you take a step back, yeah. He’s Rory McIlroy, you know? He hits it 350 yards in the air downwind and he has shorter clubs into firm greens than anyone else. When he’s on, he’s on. Hats off to him for winning. Yeah, he played unbelievably well,” he said.
Many will be expecting a similar performance from McIlroy next month now that he is no longer looking to win a fifth major.
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