BMW PGA Championship Power Rankings: Top 10 picks at Wentworth
With several European stars steering clear of this year’s BMW PGA, the European Tour would love nothing more than for McIlroy to heat up this week.
He found Wentworth’s winner’s circle in 2014. McIlroy has been hot and cold at this event with three top-25s balancing four missed cuts.
Methinks his puzzling resume at this event is just a microcosm of his career. Here’s what he had to say in a European Tour press release announcing his commitment to the 2018 event:
"“I’ve had a weird relationship with Wentworth,” McIlroy said. “I had the win there back in 2014 but I haven’t really done much else. I think I had a top five back in 2009 but it’s been a place of high frustration for me so I’m looking forward to going back and trying to solve the puzzle again. At least I do have good memories there.”"
Rory has made a few good memories of late. He won the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March and finished T5 last month Augusta. Add in a solo second in Dubai early this year and there’s reason to believe big wins like this week are on the horizon.
His strokes gained putting numbers are up from 140th on the PGA Tour in 2016-17 to 39th now. It helps when you have fewer feet of putts: McIlroy is up from 116th to ninth in proximity from the fairway.
His health has a lot to do with these improvements.
We haven’t always seen a 100 percent Rory in the last few years. He’s there now, which makes him a favorite wherever he tees it up.