After Rory McIlroy the statesman on Wednesday came exciting glimpses of Rory the golfing regal at the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow on Friday.
Goodbye to that horrible impersonator who has been mixing with the journeymen in recent tournaments. On the 10th anniversary of Seve Ballesteros’s death, a merciful welcome back to the man who has always been his natural successor, the one with the swing and flair that all that Saudi money cannot buy.
Sure, it was only one round, and who knows what will happen over the weekend? But this was McIlroy drawing on all his considerable strengths once more, rather than fretting on how far Bryson DeChambeau pummelled tee shots and trying to change accordingly.
McIlroy woke up staring down the barrel of another missed cut following a 72 on Thursday. The 32-year-old finished up inside the top 10 and in a different frame of mind after a fairly effortless round of 66. On a course where he won his first PGA Tour event a decade ago, and where he won again in 2015, it is going to be fascinating to see what happens next.
Certainly this was a massive improvement on his pitiful showing at the Masters, where his one memorable shot struck his father on the thigh. Here his drives went miles in the right direction and he had excellent distance control with his irons.
Throw in a few birdie putts holed from useful length, and this added up to his best round since his first of the year in Abu Dhabi in January, when he shot a 64.
‘I neglected my strengths a little the last couple of months, so I’ve gone back to focusing on what makes me a good golfer and how I swing the club,’ said McIlroy in his pre-tournament press conference, in between skewering the Saudis and their plans for a Super League. Here, his golf lived up to those words.
Among the morning wave, no-one fared better than in-form Englishman Matt Wallace, who shot a 67 to be two shots ahead of McIlroy. Third in the Texas Open last month, the 31-year-old was understandably buoyant.
‘I’m on a nice run of form and this is where you want to be in golf, trying to win big tournaments,’ he said.
