• Wells Fargo Championship

McIlroy saves his best for Quail Hollow practice range

ESPN staff
May 6, 2011
Rory McIlroy rarely took to the fairway at Quail Hollow © PA Photos
Enlarge

Rory McIlroy revealed his touch instantly returned on the practice range following a frustrating start to the Wells Fargo Championship on Thursday.

McIlroy's eye-catching year took another twist as his defence of the Quail Hollow title got off to a poor start, with the Northern Irishman carding a three-over 75. Birthday boy McIlroy, who turned 22 on Wednesday, struggled for accuracy to leave himself with a mountain to climb if he is to close the 11-stroke gap to current leader Bill Haas.

The youngster's long game off the tee was hugely unpredictable as he found just eight fairways in 18 holes. That directly influenced his ability to find greens in regulation, managing just 10, where he then putted poorly to complete a tough day of golf.

A year ago, when McIlroy lifted the title at Quail Hollow, he strode to victory with a final-round 62. Having taken 13 extra strokes on Thursday, the Ryder Cup star instantly took to the practice range.

"Not the start I was looking for!" McIlroy wrote on his personal Twitter account.

"Struggled with my ball striking today which is unusual for me. Hit it better on the range afterwards."

Having started work with new putting coach Dave Stockton this week, McIlroy will hope for significant improvement on Friday if he is continue his challenge into the weekend.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
Close

ABOUT COOKIES

To help make this website better, to improve and personalize your experience and for advertising purposes, are you happy to accept cookies and other technologies.

More Info Here Cookie Choices