Busy
McIlroy returns to scene of first U.S. win
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[May 14, 2015]
By Andrew Both
CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (Reuters) - Rory
McIlroy does not usually play five successive weeks of tournament golf,
but he could not resist returning to the site of his first PGA Tour
victory for this week's Wells Fargo Championship.
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McIlroy announced his arrival to an admiring American audience when
he shot a final round 62 at Quail Hollow in 2010, a year after his
first professional win at the European Tour's Dubai Desert Classic.
He has played the PGA Tour event every year since, finishing outside
the top-10 only once with a missed cut in 2011.
"It doesn't seem that long ago (2010) but great to be back," McIlroy
told reporters after playing in Wednesday's pro-am with Grace
Vaughan, a 16-year-old with a blood disorder who won an essay
contest to play with any professional of her choosing.
McIlroy opted to compete this week but his busy schedule means he
will reluctantly miss the Jack Nicklaus-hosted Memorial tournament
in early June, two weeks before the U.S. Open.
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The Northern Irish world number one loves the event at Muirfield
Village in Ohio so much that he wrote Nicklaus a letter to apologize
for his absence.
By coincidence, he then met Nicklaus on Monday at the Bears Club in
Florida, where they both have their primary residence.
"The first thing he (Nicklaus) said to me was that he'd received my
letter and I said to him I wanted to write rather than phone or just
advise the tour. He seemed pretty taken back to get my letter and
that made me feel good," McIlroy, 26, said.
The four-time major winner heads a strong field at Quail Hollow that
includes nine of the world's top 20.
LOW SCORING ON THE CARDS
Australia's former world number one Adam Scott felt the course was
set up well and that low scores would be possible, but not
guaranteed.
"It's not soft. It's not firm. It's just nice," the Australian said
while patiently signing hundreds of autographs on his way from the
18th green to the clubhouse.
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The tournament is being played two weeks later in the schedule this
year and American Webb Simpson, who lives adjacent to the seventh
hole, believes the later time slot has helped the course condition
after a wretched February of snow and ice.
"The course has appreciated a couple more weeks," Simpson said. "The
course is beautiful and the greens super fast.
"Even if this place wasn't my home, I would still have this as one
of my top courses of the year."
Strong though the field is, few regular PGA Tour events attract all
the big names and this week is no exception.
Among those missing are Tiger Woods, Masters champion Jordan Spieth
and Players Championship winner Rickie Fowler.
(Editing by Mark Lamport-Stokes)
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