Why this could be the week that Rory McIlroy’s season catches light
It didn't happen for him at the Masters and he is still looking for a first win of 2016 but this week looks as good an opportunity as any for Rory McIlroy to get off the mark.
The Northern Irishman is set to make his first appearance since his tie for 10th at Augusta on Thursday in the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow – one of his happiest hunting grounds.
It was here in 2010 that a 20-year-old McIlroy claimed his first PGA Tour title – and established a new course record in the process – by carding a stunning final round of 62.
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Five years and four Major triumphs later he became the tournament’s first multiple winner, breaking his own record with a 61 on the Saturday and beating the previous 72-hole best score by five strokes.
Top gear
Guys like Rory prepare to peak at the Majors. He didn’t win the Masters but he is now in top gear and, with the US Open on the horizon, will be ready to hit the ground running.
I’ve written before about how much of a boost it can be to return to the scene of previous victories, so he’ll be going all out to win at a course where he has also been top-10 three times. Expect fireworks.
World No3 McIlroy, who turns 27 tomorrow, is at the vanguard of a seemingly endless procession of emerging talent making the sport feel younger.
New talent
Li Haotong is the latest to announce himself on the world stage after claiming a phenomenal maiden European Tour title at the Volvo China Open on home soil on Sunday.
The 20-year-old became the 13th youngest player ever to win on the tour and the seventh first-time winner on the tour already this season.
Yet again it was a life-changing result for a young man and further vindication of the tour’s co-sanctioned events, which give local players a platform they might not otherwise have enjoyed.
It’s wonderful to see the new talent coming through and they all seem to feed off each other, just as a number of English players seemed to be buoyed by Danny Willett triumphing at the Masters.
Blossoming in May
Byeong-Hun An, who made his breakthrough by winning BMW PGA Championship almost a year ago, is another of the new guard and he only just fell short of a first PGA Tour win on Monday at the Zurich Classic.
The South Korean, 24, lost out in a three-man play-off won by American Brian Stuard but seems to thrive at this time of year, which all bodes well for a return to Wentworth to defend his title later this month.
Finally, there was a good story on the Challenge Tour last week where Scot Duncan Stewart made the most of an invite to land his first win on the circuit at the Challenge de Madrid.