GOLF:IN TERMS of timing, it couldn't be any better for Rory McIlroy who has returned to the scene of his greatest individual triumph as a professional for the defence this week of the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow – a new name for the old tournament – with positive reports from his fitness trainer and coach.
McIlroy, playing for the first time in the USA since his final round travails in the Masters at Augusta last month, has been given an upbeat report card from his trainer Steve MacGregor on his fitness levels which showed an increase in muscle mass and a fall in body fat.
The Ulsterman started a fitness regime under the guidance of MacGregor as part of his routine to ensure there wouldn’t be any recurrence of the back injury which affected him for a period last season.
“All my scans were fine and he’s given me a new programme to work on, so I’m really happy where I’m going with that,” remarked McIlroy, who revealed he had gained three kilograms of muscles and lost one kilogram of fat.
His target is to increase his weight from a current level of 76 kilograms to 80 kilograms as part of the programme.
McIlroy – who bounced back from his final round at the Masters by contending and ultimately finishing third behind Matteo Manassero in the following week’s Malaysian Open – also used his time off at home in Belfast last week to work on all aspects of his game with coach Michael Bannon and, again, reported satisfaction with his game ahead of this week’s tournament which also includes Pádraig Harrington, Martin Kaymer and Phil Mickelson.
Of his US Masters final round, McIlroy observed: “I’ve taken plenty of positives from it. A couple of things on the back nine just didn’t go my way but I’m not letting that get me down. It was a great chance to win my first Major and I’m sure I’ll have many more chances . . . . it was great going straight from Augusta to Malaysia as I didn’t have too much time to dwell on things, instead I was out there playing and getting myself into contention again.”
McIlroy had one special engagement last evening, as part of the traditional build-up to a tournament he won last year when shooting a spectacular closing round 62 to leapfrog Mickelson: he included his football boots in his travelling bag for a players versus caddies soccer game.
Of Quail Hollow, McIlroy – who has moved to a career high sixth in the latest official world rankings, ahead of Tiger Woods – remarked: “It’s one of my favourite courses in the world. I have great feelings from last year and, if I can play half as well as I did on the weekend, I’ll have a great chance. I definitely feel that my game is in better shape going into the event than it was last year.”
While McIlroy’s stateside trip is for a one-off week before returning to Europe for the Volvo World Matchplay in Spain in a fortnight’s time, Harrington – who followed up his early Masters exit by also missing the cut in the China Open – returns stateside for a stint that also takes in next week’s Players championship at Sawgrass. McIlroy has decided to miss out on the Players, as has world number one, Lee Westwood.
Graeme McDowell, meanwhile, yesterday paid a trip to Congressional, outside Washington, to get a look at the course where he will defend his US Open title next month. Claiming the course would be “long and tough”, McDowell – who missed the cut last week in New Orleans – admitted to having some “technical difficulties” with his swing but added that “normal service will resume shortly”.
He has a week off before resuming action at the Players, followed by a sequence that will take in the Volvo Matchplay and the BMW PGA at Wentworth.
In-form Peter Lawrie – runner-up in the China Open on his last outing – resumes tournament play at this week’s Spanish Open at El Prat, which last played host to the event in 1999.
Lawrie, a former winner of the event, is part of a quartet of Irish players scheduled to compete that also features Damien McGrane, Gareth Maybin and Shane Lowry.
For his part, Lowry – who missed the early part of the season recovering from a broken bone in his wrist – has shown a welcome return to some form and made the cut in his last two appearances. “With every round I’m getting match fit. Mentally and physically, I feel in better shape and I feel a few good results are on the way,” said Lowry.
The Spanish Open will also see the return to competition of Scottish player Elliot Saltman, who was suspended in January for a breach of the rules relating to the marking of his ball during a Challenge Tour event in Russia last September.
Elsewhere, long-hitting Bubba Watson maintained ice-cool composure to clinch his third PGA Tour title in a gripping playoff with fellow American Webb Simpson for the New Orleans Classic on Sunday.
Both players birdied the first extra hole, the par-five 18th, and Watson sealed victory there with a four-foot birdie putt the second time around after Simpson missed his own attempt from 12 feet.
The pair had finished the 72 regulation holes on 15-under-par 273 after closing with matching three-under 69s. Jason Dufner shot a best-of-the-day 66 to tie for third at 13-under, level with Tommy Gainey (69) and South Korea’s K.J. Choi (69). World number three Luke Donald birdied four of the last six holes for a 69 to finish in a five-way tie for eighth.
