World No. 1 Rory McIlroy has had a fair bit of success at the Quail Hollow course in recent years, but hasn’t quite been able to replicate the success which saw him win the championship back in 2010.
Will this be the year the Northern Irishman becomes the tournament’s first multiple-time winner, or can anyone from the formidable field come away with the crown? Read on for our preview of the golfers to watch in this tournament.
Before the tournament tees off on May 14, check out our preview of the upcoming UEFA Champions League semifinal second leg between Real Madrid vs. Juventus.
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Wells Fargo Championship 2015 Preview
Favorites – Rory McIlroy and JB Holmes
Rory McIlroy has fond memories of Quail Hollow; it was the site of his first ever TOUR victory back in 2010. McIlroy has also finished in the top 10 of the Wells Fargo Championship (formerly the Quail Hollow Championship) for three consecutive years, including a playoff loss to Rickie Fowler in 2012.
[sc:Golf240banner ]The World No. 1 has tasted victory a couple more times since then, and will be on a high entering this year’s event. He is coming off a recent win the World Golf Championship- Cadillac Match Play earlier this month.
The course also holds a lot of sentimental value for one of McIlroy’s top competition for the title, defending champion, JB Holmes. The Wells Fargo was the first tournament Holmes won since undergoing brain surgery 2.5 years prior.
Holmes’ bid to defend his title is strong. He has had a very impressive season thus far, with five top-10 finishes to his name. He finished second twice – including a playoff loss in the Farmers Insurance Open back in February – and won the Shell Houston Open in April. He most recently finished eight spots below McIlory in the WGC-Cadillac Match Play.
Sleepers – Jim Furyk and Phil Mickelson
Veteran Jim Furyk will be a potential sleeper to look out for in Quail Hollow. The 44-year old veteran is coming off a very impressive stretch wherein he won the RBC Heritage and finished fourth in the WGC-Cadillac in back-to-back tournaments. Furyk is also very well acquainted with the course, having won in 2006 and coming so close to winning again last year. He finished second, just one shot back of Holmes.
Similarly, fellow American Phil Mickelson has been a nearly man in the tournament. Lefty has finished in the top-12 nine times in 11 visits – including a top-3 finish in 2013 and a runner-up finish to McIlroy in 2010 – but has yet to seal the deal with a win.
Mickelson will be hoping another trip to the course can help him shake off what has been an underwhelming season thus far. He’s missed the cut in six of his nine events, including the recently concluded PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass, and has just one top-10 finish. That one was a big one though: The Masters.
Long Shot – Charles Howell III
Charles Howell III is part of a select group that has yet to miss a start in the tournament’s 13-year history. But the American has come away empty every single time. His best finish in Quail Hollow was a T-10 in 2013.
Howell has hit a rough patch over the last few months, and has missed the cut in three of his last five tournaments. He did, however, finish fifth in the Shell Houston Open, which makes him at least a threat to end his five-year winless drought on TOUR in Quail Hollow.
Writer’s Prediction
Mickelson finally gets over the hump and gets his long-awaited first win at Quail Hollow. Don’t wait to create a betting account so you can win big on golf futures all season long.
