Rory roars once more: McIlroy’s monster Sunday nets him his 4th win at Wells Fargo

On a gorgeous Mother’s Day Sunday at the Wells Fargo Championship in Charlotte, Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele staged one mother of a duel for two hours.

In the final twosome, in what felt like a match-play format, they entered the final nine holes dead even.

But then McIlroy showed why he’s the best player this golf tournament has ever seen. Schauffele blinked, and suddenly it was over — a golf tournament win by startling knockout.

McIlroy’s five-shot, utterly spectacular victory at the 2024 Wells Fargo gave him his fourth championship in an event he has owned for much of the past 15 years.

McIlroy won his first-ever PGA Tour event in Charlotte in 2010 as a baby-faced 20-year-old, shooting a heavenly 66-62 over the final two rounds. He also won it in 2015, and then won at Quail Hollow Club again in 2021, once again on Mother’s Day and shortly after becoming a father.

And now, McIlroy has won yet again in Charlotte, in 2024. He played fever-dream golf on Sunday, shooting a final-round 65. At one point, McIlroy went 8-under in an 8-hole stretch.

McIlroy has said in the past of Quail Hollow: “I loved it from the first time I played it.” He will love it even more after Sunday.

Joked McIlroy, who lives in Florida, afterward in his press conference about possibly buying property in Charlotte: “I must say I do go on Zillow quite a lot and look at some of the properties around here.”

McIlroy also opined that the chance of a PGA Tour event remaining in Charlotte was “very high,” even though Wells Fargo’s last tournament as title sponsor of this event ended Sunday. He certainly hopes it will return for many years to come.

“You know all these people sort of watched me grow up,” McIlroy said of the Charlotte crowd. “I won here for the first time as a 20-year-old and now I’m 35. So they’ve sort of seen my progression throughout the years.”

‘Rory breathing down my neck’

Like NASCAR racers who had lapped the entire field twice, McIlroy and Schauffele roared down the stretch with only each other left as competition on the final 18 holes.

Eagle after eagle. Birdie after birdie. Clutch putt after clutch putt.

It was as if the Ryder Cup had broken out in Charlotte as Xander and Rory — a half-dozen shots clear of the field for most of the day — stared each other down.

The first nine was setting up to provide one of the most glorious days in the history of this tournament. And then McIlroy found another gear, things went sideways for Schauffele, and the final hour served as the latest Rory roar-fest and “King of the Queen City” coronation at Quail Hollow. Even finding the water on No. 18 that led to a final-hole double bogey didn’t really matter for McIlroy other than for style points, since he had a 7-shot lead by then.

Before the round began, Schauffele had told reporters: “I’m going to have to earn it tomorrow. I’ve got Rory breathing down my neck.”

Schauffele, who had led the golf tournament ever since his scorching 64 in the opening round, led McIlroy by a single shot as they approached the first hole.

That lead immediately disintegrated, as McIlroy birdied the first hole. From then on it was a seesaw for two hours. McIlroy bogeyed No. 4 and Schauffele went up by a shot again. Schauffele bogeyed No. 6 and it was tied again.

Schauffele eagled the par-5 No. 7 with a 12-foot putt to take a two-shot lead. He didn’t know it then, but that would be his highwater mark.

Throwing the ball to the crowd

Here came McIlroy, who’s from Northern Ireland but seems like he’s from Myers Park, given how fervently the Charlotte crowds root for him. The 35-year-old played the next three holes in 4-under, going birdie-birdie and then, spectacularly making an eagle putt from 33 feet, 9 inches at No. 10 to take a two-shot lead.

Schauffele then birdied No. 10 himself, pulling himself back to within a shot (15-under for McIlroy, 14-under for Schauffele).

But that was as close as Schauffele would come. And McIlroy — well, let Schauffele tell it. “He’s Rory McIlroy, you know?” Schauffele said after it was over. “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.... He played unbelievably well.”

Meanwhile, as the crowds at Quail Hollow and a CBS audience watched, Schauffele flinched.

At No. 12, he bungled the par-4 despite a good drive, making bogey and dropping two shots down with six holes to go.

Then it got worse. On the par-3 13th, McIlroy rolled in a 14-foot birdie putt and Schauffele bogeyed. The lead was now four shots with five holes to go and the crowds were chanting “Rory! Rory!” on every hole.

Not long after, McIlroy birdied No. 14 and eagled No. 15 from the bunker, giving himself a six-shot lead with only three holes to play. After that eagle, McIlroy raised his right arm aloft and then threw the ball into the crowd, looking all the world exactly like his celebration at No. 18 in 2021, even down to wearing a pink shirt in honor of Mother’s Day.

“The bunker shot was relatively straightforward,” McIlroy said. “It was one of the best lies I had in a bunker all week.... I wasn’t thinking of holing it, but I was thinking I could get it within range and make an easy birdie. And then when it dropped in and I don’t know why I threw it (to the crowd). It’s something I’ve done over the years and yeah — it felt good.”

From there, it was all over except the shouting — and the police helicopter. As part of a post-round ceremony honoring the four law enforcement officers who died in Charlotte in an April 29 shooting, CMPD police chief Johnny Jennings rode in the CMPD helicopter that landed just short of the 18th green. Then he got out of the helicopter and delivered the championship trophy. That, like most everything else, went to McIlroy on another Rory Sunday.