Rory McIlroy is excited to reacquaint himself with the West Course at Wentworth Club as he prepares to tee it up at this week’s BMW PGA Championship, the fourth Rolex Series event of the 2022 DP World Tour season.
The Northern Irishman, fresh from winning a record third FedEx Cup on the PGA TOUR, has an impressive record in the prestigious event, recording three top tens on top of a victory in 2014.
McIlroy has enjoyed a superb season thus far, winning three times on the PGA TOUR and finishing no lower than eighth at each of the four Major Championships, and he is now looking to be crowned DP World Tour Number One for the third time in his career.
For the first two rounds at Wentworth, McIlroy will tee it up in the company of defending champion Billy Horschel of the United States, who found out today that he will represent his nation at the Presidents Cup later this month, and reigning U.S. Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick.
Fitzpatrick is making his first appearance on English soil since claiming his maiden Major title at The Country Club, Brookline, in June. The home favourite will be aiming for his second Rolex Series title, adding to the DP World Tour Championship he won in 2020.
Player Quotes
Rory McIlroy: “It’s great to be back. I haven’t been here since 2019. Obviously COVID through a spanner in the works for 2020 and even 2021 a little bit, and to be back, and even to see the crowds on a Wednesday, I’m in the Pro-Am and everyone is excited for this event to kick off.
“We’ve got a great field this week. Wentworth is looking as good as it usually does, and I have a feeling it’s going to be a really good week.
“I’ve won The Race to Dubai before; I’ve won the FedEx before but not in the same year. I think all of my energy from now to the end of the season is to try to get that Race to Dubai title. I haven’t won it in six or seven years, so I’d love to get my hands on it again.
“I think the history of this tournament speaks for itself. For me personally, I came here as a kid to watch the World Match Play at Wentworth when I was like ten, 11 years old. I saw Tiger here and Monty and Sergio for the first time.
“All the guys that I really looked up to as a kid. It holds a lot of great memories for me and the fact that we get to come back here and play, and I think about Ernie Els and the match play and I think about the fact that I’m standing on those tees and those greens trying to emulate those heroes that I watched around here 20 years ago, it’s pretty cool.”
Matt Fitzpatrick: “I’m really looking forward to it, I love the week here, I love playing the golf course, I feel like it tests every aspect of your game. It is a little bit soft out there today, so hopefully it kind of dries out. I know the weather is supposed to be forecast a little bit wet. But yeah, got a lot of friends and family down this week, and yeah, should be a good week.
“I was really surprised how many people were watching me in the Pro-Am this morning. That was a real pleasant surprise. Probably more people asking for photos and autographs than obviously normal years which is new.
“I couldn’t be more positive about how people have reacted to me winning and everything else that’s sort of come with it. Everyone has been so congratulatory. Yeah, I really appreciate that, so it’s been good.”
