McIlroy resumes play and quest for number one at Quail Hollow

THE YO-YOING atop the world rankings, with Luke Donald regaining the top spot from Rory McIlroy, is adding spice of a sort to the mix.

For McIlroy, though, the quest for more tour wins – with the rankings looking after themselves – is the main influencing factor and the Ulsterman, who celebrates his 23rd birthday tomorrow, resumes play after a two-week break in the Wells Fargo championship at Quail Hollow.

McIlroy has spent the past fortnight away from serious golf with social engagements that ranged from watching girlfriend Caroline Wozniacki play tennis in Monte Carolo, attending horse racing at Newbury and seeing Ulster’s rugby team in action. Now, it’s a case of getting back to serious business in returning to a tournament where he made a breakthrough US Tour win in 2010.

“One of my favourite weeks of the year . . . great memories on a great course,” tweeted McIlroy on arrival in Charlotte yesterday for a tournament where he needs to finish in the top seven to move back ahead of Donald.

And, in a teleconference last night, organised by the USGA ahead of his defence of his US Open title at the Olympic Club in San Francisco next month, McIlroy revealed he had been working with his coach, Michael Bannon, and fitness coach, Steve McGregor, “on a few things”.

He added: “It wasn’t the result I wanted [at the Masters]. I took a couple of weeks off, back in Europe. Spent some time with my girlfriend and came back [to Florida] last week and did some really good work. I played a practice round at Quail Hollow [yesterday] and the game feels really good. It feels like it is back on the right track.”

McIlroy has mapped out a schedule in the coming weeks that sees him play in Quail Hollow and then next week’s Players championship at Sawgrass before a week off – conveniently clashing with Ulster’s appearance in the Heineken Cup final at Twickenham – and then another two-week run that takes in the BMW PGA at Wentworth and the following week’s Memorial tournament in the States, after which he has a week to prepare for the US Open in San Francisco.

Although he has yet to make a trip out to play the Olympic course ahead of the US Open, McIlroy claimed he would return for his defence with “more confidence with myself that I can win on the biggest stage in golf.”

He expanded: “Going into Majors as a Major champion heightens expectation levels, and that’s something I didn’t control quite so well at the Masters. Going back to defend my title in San Francisco will be a great experience and something I’m really looking forward to. You prepare as best you can and play the golf you know you’re capable of. I don’t really have anything to prove, feel like I’m coming back as a more established player.”

His predecessor as US Open champion, Graeme McDowell, is also in the field at Quail Hollow. McDowell finished a disappointing tied-57th in the Zurich New Orleans Classic – where Jason Dufner beat Ernie Els in a play-off to claim a maiden tour title – and left Louisiana for Charlotte knowing that his short game and putting are the areas that required attention.

Donald, meanwhile, is skipping the Wells Fargo before returning to action at next week’s Player’s championship. The Englishman regained the world top spot after a third-place finish in New Orleans and, although he had an eye on the leaderboard coming down the stretch in his attempts to win, claimed that going back to number one was “a nice consolation . . . it’s going back and forth a little bit. [It will be] Rory’s turn at Quail Hollow, [he has a] chance to get I back.”

While McIlroy and McDowell form the Irish challenge this week at the Wells Fargo championship where Tiger Woods, the former long-time custodian of the world number one ranking, returns to action for the first time since the Masters, there is a six-man Irish contingent in action in the Spanish Open in Seville: Michael Hoey, Peter Lawrie, Shane Lowry, Damien McGrane, Gareth Maybin and Simon Thornton are all competing there.