McIlroy rallies to win record 4th Wells Fargo
Northern Ireland golfer runs away from the field over final 11 holes to beat Schauffele by five strokes
Rory McIlroy won the Wells Fargo Championship for a record fourth time Sunday, overcoming a twostroke deficit to beat Xander Schauffele by five strokes at Charlotte, N.C.
No other player has won the event more than twice.
McIlroy closed with a 6-under 65, playing the final 11 holes in 6 under even with a double bogey on the 18th hole. He finished at 17-under 267 after four straight rounds in the 60s and won his second straight PGA Tour event after teaming with Shane Lowry to take the Zurich Classic two weeks ago in New Orleans. Schauffele shot 71. McIlroy trailed by two after Schauffele made an eagle on the par-5 seventh, but the world's second-ranked player quickly shifted into another gear.
The star from Northern Ireland pulled even after birdies on Nos. 8 and 9 and then made a 33-foot eagle putt on the 10th for his first lead of the tournament after Schauffele settled for birdie.
Schauffele's bogey at 12 gave McIlroy more breathing room.
McIlroy then essentially sealed the win on 13 when he made birdie and Schauffele missed another putt for bogey, resulting in a four-shot advantage.
But McIlroy wasn't done.
He made another birdie on 14 and then punctuated the victory by chipping in from the sand for another eagle on No. 15 to move to 19 under.
At that point the only question was if McIlroy could match his own course record of 61 and tournament record of 21 under.
He didn't.
But he managed a smile when he blew his second shot on No. 18 over the green and into the water and had to take a drop. He tapped in for a double bogey victory as the crowd chanted his name.
McIlroy's finish was reminiscent of 2010 when he carded six straight 3s en route to a final round 62 to beat Phil Mickelson for his first career PGA Tour win. He also won the event in 2015 and 2021.
McIlroy has long called Quail Hollow one of his favourite courses because it allows for him to take advantage of his length off the tee. But it was his putting that won him the 26th career PGA Tour title Sunday.
He needed just 25 putts, making five longer than 10 feet.
For Schauffele, it was a disappointing ending to a strong week.
He finished second for the second straight year and saw his winless drought stretch to 39 tournaments, a streak dating to 2022. He led by four shots after 36 holes.
KORDA STREAK OVER, ZHANG RALLIES TO BEAT SAGSTROM
Rose Zhang won the Cognizant Founders Cup on Sunday to end Nelly Korda's record-tying LPGA Tour winning streak, rallying to beat Madelene Sagstrom by two strokes.
Zhang birdied four of the final five holes to overcome a three-shot deficit in a thrilling final-round duel with Sagstrom after the two broke away from the field Saturday.
Zhang shot a 6-under 66, birdieing Nos. 14, 15, 17 and 18 at Upper Montclair Country Club in Clifton, N.J. Sagstrom bogeyed the 16th in a 69.
Korda, who struggled the final two days after playing magnificently in winning the five straight events she entered, had a second straight 73 and tied for seventh at 7 under.
After her final putt, Zhang bent over and put her hands to her mouth, before walking to hug caddie Oliver Brett. The two-time NCAA champion at Stanford who won last year at nearby Liberty National in her pro debut, finished at 24 under 264 total — the best score in the three years the event has been held here.
It was a heartbreaking end for Sagstrom, the 31-year-old Swede who started the day with a one-shot lead and was looking for her first victory since 2020 and second overall on tour.
She led by three after 13, but Zhang curled in a birdie putt at 15 and made an 8-footer on the next to draw within one. They were tied after 16, with Sagstrom missing a 10-foot par putt after a bad chip from the back fringe.
After Sagstrom saved par at the par-3 17th with a fast, downhill 25-footer, Zhang took the lead with a short birdie putt.
Rookie Gabriela Ruffels of Australia was third at 9 under, her best finish. She shot 71.