Xander Schauffele was leading Rory McIlroy by two shots when he birdied the seventh hole at Quail Hollow on Sunday.
In response, Rory produced the kind of run that very few players can muster. He ended the Wells Fargo Championship early by playing the next eight holes at 8-under par. Leading by six strokes going into the Green Mile, the course’s renowned last stretch, was McIlroy. After that stretch, Rory McIlroy finished with a par-par double bogey to beat Xander Schauffele by five strokes at 17-under 267.
McIlroy’s comeback got underway right away. When they turned the thirteenth green, the two men were level, and McIlroy had four more strokes than the other.
McIlroy would have won seven of the following eight holes, beginning at No. 8, if they were playing match play.
At the eighth hole, which was short, McIlroy made a 12-foot birdie putt to start his comeback. Schauffele also had a 10-footer that he missed. Then, on the ninth hole, McIlroy hammered his 162-yard approach to 11 feet and made that one too. With two eagles on the par 5s, he completed the opening six holes of the back nine in 6-under par.
On the par-5 10th hole, Schauffele blasted a spectacular approach from the fairway bunker, but he missed his 12-foot eagle putt following Rory McIlroy’s 34-footer.
It was an exciting section. With two eagles and three birdies on the four holes between Nos. 7 and 10, Schauffele and Rory McIlroy were a combined 7-under.
Following his eagle on hole number 10, Rory McIlroy missed the fairway and green on the following two holes but saved par. He then birdied the par-3 13th hole after hitting his tee shot to 14 feet. At the par-4 14th, Rory McIlroy gained another stroke after Schauffele made bogeys on holes 12 and 13. On hole number 15, McIlroy made his second eagle on the back nine with a greenside bunker shot that left no room for error.
After winning the Zurich Classic of New Orleans with Shane Lowry, McIlroy’s victory was his second straight. It was also his 26th victory on the PGA Tour.
