Rory McIlroy romps to fourth victory at Quail Hollow with final-round 65

Rory McIlroy claimed back-to-back PGA Tour titles when he defeated Xander Schauffele with a stunning back-nine showing at the Wells Fargo Championship on Sunday. The world number 2, who claimed the Zurich Classic with Shane Lowry a fortnight ago, started the final round one shot behind Schauffele but stormed home with an incoming 32 to win in style.

A six-under 65 meant McIlroy finished 17 under as he triumphed for the fourth time at Quail Hollow and provided perfect preparation for the US PGA Championship at Valhalla, the scene of his most recent major win in 2014.

McIlroy told Sky Sports: “This week, on a course I feel comfortable with, my swing feels more comfortable than before. When I go to a location where I won next week, it feels like the stars are aligning a bit. But I have a lot of golf to play and a lot of great players to try to beat. I’m going into the next major of the year feeling really good about myself.

Schauffele finished five back in second place after stumbling to a 71, while South Korea’s An Byeong-hun was third at nine under after a 66.

McIlroy made the first birdie after a nice approach from within five feet. However, he gave the shot back in the fourth after failing to get up and down from a bunker on the green. Schauffele’s string of pars ended with a three-putt bogey on the sixth, but he bounced back in style on the next, firing his approach to the par five to twelve feet and looking for eagle. McIlroy found himself two shots back when he made par on the same hole after three putts.

McIlroy stormed back with birdies at the eighth and ninth before producing an eagle from 35 feet on the 10th. Schauffele was one under for the same three-hole stretch, leaving the four-time major winner one ahead. McIlroy found himself two ahead when Schauffele dropped a shot on the 12th and piled the pressure on his playing partner with a birdie from 13 feet on the short next. Schauffele failed to save par after hitting his tee shot behind the green on the 13th, leaving McIlroy four clear.

McIlroy went up and down from a greenside bunker for another gain on the drivable 14th, with Schauffele missing from five feet to leave his rival five clear. An eagle from a greenside bunker on the 15th eliminated any prospect of a nail-biting finish for McIlroy and he parred the 16th and 17th before dropping two shots on the last after hitting his approach in the water.