Why Rory McIlroy Has a Love Affair With Quail Hollow
By: Derek Clements | Mon 12 May 2025
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If you were to ask Rory McIlroy to play any venue where he would fancy his chances of adding to his major tally then you can be sure that Quail Hollow would figure pretty near the top of that list.
Having won four times here, he will be heading back this week seriously fancying his chances of proving that his Masters victory is about to open the floodgates. Notwithstanding Scottie Scheffler's astonishing return to form at the Byron Nelson, there is no doubt that McIlroy is currently the best player on the planet, having already picked up three titles in 2025.
And for the Northern Irishman, Quail Hollow is where it all began, the venue for his maiden PGA Tour title at the Quail Hollow Championship in 2010.
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Having barely made the cut following opening rounds of 72 and 73, he shot a third round of 66 but still looked like he had no chance. However, in the final round he shot a stunning course record 62 to beat Phil Mickelson by four strokes and record his first PGA Tour win. It came two days before his 21st birthday, making him the first player since Tiger Woods to win a PGA Tour event prior to that age. The victory also earned him a two-year exemption on the PGA Tour - not that he needed it.
Five years later he was at it again. By now, it was called the Wells Fargo Championship and this time he won by a whopping seven shots. He opened with rounds of 70 and 67 and was handily placed. But then he tore the course to shreds in round three, during which he recorded a scarcely-credible 61. He closed out his victory stroll with a 69. His 267 total was a tournament record.
He had to wait six years for victory number three and it came with rounds of 72, 66, 68 and 68, good enough to see off the challenge of Abraham Ancer by a shot.
(Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography)
He was at it again last year. He was utterly dominant, rounds of 67, 68, 67 and 65 leaving Xander Schauffele shaking his head in disbelief.
A stunning final back nine saw McIlroy reel in overnight leader Schauffele. He trailed by two shots after seven holes, but four birdies and two eagles in the next eight saw the 35-year-old surge six shots clear.
The Northern Irishman eventually carded a six-under 65 to beat American Schauffele by five shots at Quail Hollow. However, Schauffele would gain a serious consolation prize the following week when he won the US PGA Championship at Valhalla.
But he hasn’t always had it his own way at Quail Hollow. The course hosted the 2017 US PGA and McIlroy was widely fancied to win. But the course set-up was very different, with thick and punishing rough and lightning-fast greens. Justin Thomas won the tournament with a total of 276, just eight under par.
McIlroy finished the week in a tie for 22nd place after rounds of 72, 72, 73 and 68.
He actually has a decent record at the US PGA, having won it twice. In 2012 he opened with a 67 at Congressional but then stumbled to a 75 in the second round before bouncing back with rounds of 67 and 66 to beat second-placed David Lynn, of England, by eight shots. And in August 2014 at Valhalla he won again, rounds of 66, 67, 67 and 68 good enough to beat Phil Mickelson by a stroke - that win came a month after he had won The Open.
This will be his 17th appearance in the US PGA. Apart from his two victories he also has two third places and a total of eight top-10 finishes.
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