Rory McIlory won the PGA Championship in 2012 and 2014 and holds the record for the biggest winning margin in the year’s final major, triumphing by eight shots. The Northern Irishman heads to Baltusrol Golf Club fresh with enthusiasm after a final-round 67 at The Open, looking to make it three Wanamaker Trophies in the last five years.
The 27-year-old has recorded six top-five finishes on the PGA Tour this season and tasted victory at his home tournament, The Dubai Duty Free Irish Open on the European Tour.
He ranks first on the PGA Tour in strokes gained off the tee, birdie average and par-five scoring average. The last category is especially important given that Baltusrol closes with two par-fives. He is also in the top-five of the charts in a number of other categories, including driving distance, which suggests he has the game to be right at the front in New Jersey.
Despite missing the cut at the US Open, his performances at the Masters and The Open have seen the Holywood-born golfer collect two top-10 finishes and anything less this week would be a major surprise.
