Resurgent Rory McIlroy shrugs off claims of Tiger Woods strain to clinch fourth Wells Fargo title

Rory McIlroy mounted a final-round charge to power to his fourth career Wells Fargo Championship, finishing five shots ahead of Xander Schauffele at Quail Hollow.

After a week buzzing with outside noise, Rory McIlroy let his clubs do the talking on Sunday. The Northern Irishman mounted a magnificent, final-round charge to power to his fourth career Wells Fargo Championship, finishing five shots ahead of American Xander Schauffele on 17-under overall at Quail Hollow in North Carolina. McIlroy had trailed world No. 3 Schauffele by two strokes after seven holes but tore away from the overnight leader down the stretch, carding four birdies and two eagles in a dazzling eight-hole run. Even with a closing double bogey, McIlroy’s six-under 65 was still the best score of the day, easily enough to secure his 26th PGA Tour crown and a second in a row after triumph at the Zurich Classic alongside fellow Irishman Shane Lowry last month. “I don’t know what’s more unbelievable, winning a PGA Tour event for the fourth time or getting my 26th,” McIlroy – who previously won the event in 2010, 2015 and 2021 – told reporters. “Whenever I hit some of these milestones or do these things, I always think back to 20-year-old me playing in this tournament for the first time. If I had known back then that this is the way everything was going to pan out, I probably wouldn’t have believed you.”