Rory’s Peaking for the PGA Championship, and He’s Not the Only One

Entering the final round of the Wells Fargo Championship on Sunday, Rory McIlroy trailed Xander Schauffele by one stroke, a deficit that widened to two following a Schauffele eagle on the seventh hole. Eight holes later, Rory had dramatically turned the tables, walking off the 15th green with a six-shot lead.

Throughout the week, McIlroy averaged 325.4 yards off the tee across all tee shots, surpassing the next closest competitor by more than eight yards. Despite ranking 59th out of 68 players in fairways hit, his first-place ranking in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee is a prime example that elite driving hinges more on power and hazard avoidance than splitting the center of every fairway, especially on a golf course like Quail Hollow. Rory’s excellent driving, towering iron shots, and tidiness on and around the greens culminated in a decisive five-shot victory, setting the stage for the second major of the year at Valhalla – a course from which Rory can pull positive memories.

Given Rory’s history at Valhalla and how well the golf course suits his skill set, it’s easy to understand why Rory feels like the “stars are aligning”, as he suggested to Amanda Renner on the 72nd green. In his post-round press conference, Rory was asked the last time his game felt as good as it feels now. He mentioned a stretch of last summer, which included ten straight top 10s, a win at the Scottish Open, and a near win at the U.S. Open. Then he went on to say that the current state of his game “actually feels a little bit better than that”, encouraging commentary entering a major championship week.

However, McIlroy isn’t the only elite player rolling into Louisville in top form. Scottie Scheffler, the top-ranked player in the world, has beaten all but one golfer in his last five tournaments and will remain the clear favorite entering Thursday’s opening round. Five-time major champion Brooks Koepka is fresh off a victory in his most recent LIV start and could add a fourth Wanamaker Trophy with a victory this week. Jon Rahm hasn’t finished outside the top 10 in seven LIV events this year, and while his season has been underwhelming by his standards, Rahm has been one of the best major championship players in the world since he turned pro. Rory McIlroy isn’t the only golfer who is feeling good about his chances entering the second major championship of the season.

The top players in the world are in form and mostly healthy. Amidst the ongoing turmoil, dysfunction, and incessant conversations about money clouding professional golf right now, this upcoming week promises a refreshing change of pace: a chance to watch the best professional golfers in the world compete for a major championship trophy, the currency golf fans value most.

This piece originally appeared in the Fried Egg Golf newsletter. Subscribe for free and receive golf news and insight every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.