Five things we learned from the Wells Fargo Championship

Let’s be honest, we’re all incredibly busy. Nobody has time to sit down and watch four rounds of golf coverage — unless, of course, you watch TV for a living, and if that’s the case, please email us your number. So in an effort to condense the tournament coverage for you into a few quick hits, here are five things we learned from the Wells Fargo Championship.

Rickie Fowler finally gets it done on Sunday — “Told you guys it was coming soon.” That’s what Rickie Fowler said when he sat down in the interview room following his win on Sunday. Fowler certainly had confidence in himself, but the longer he went without a victory, the more people started to question if his weekend struggles were turning into a major issue. That’s why his win at the Wells Fargo was so important. It not only silenced the critics; it also gave Fowler the belief that when given the chance to win, he can pull it off against the best players in the world.

Rory McIlroy has some heat behind the golf ball — For the last few months we’ve been hearing about the countless hours Rory McIlroy’s been putting in at the gym, but over the weekend at Quail Hollow, the 23-year-old made it crystal clear that the time spent is paying off in a big, big way. He recorded six drives over 320 yards during the third round — including a 377-yard bomb on the 16th. He followed the driving display up by hitting a 339-yard 3-wood on the first playoff hole during the final round, flying Rickie Fowler and D.A. Points’ drives. McIlroy may have came up a little short at Quail Hollow, but the driving display he put on was something to behold. If he keeps hitting it like that, he’ll be in contention almost every week.

A rivalry is kinda, sorta born — There’s something to be said about labeling a rivalry as such before it actually turns into one, but on Sunday at Quail Hollow, we got a preview of what could potentially into the next big duel in golf. Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods are still the biggest names, but it seemed fitting that the two titans took a backseat to the future. Golf has been dying for a new rivalry over the last couple of years, and there’s reason to believe Rickie Fowler and Rory McIlroy could give the sport exactly what it needs. Sure, it was just one playoff hole, but a rivalry has to start somewhere. Why not at Quail Hollow?

D.A. Points’ putter keeps him from winning his second PGA Tour title — Give D.A. Points some credit for keeping it together down the stretch on Sunday, but if there’s one guy in the field that has to feel like he let one slip away, it’s the guy two the two-letter first name. Points was nearly flawless over his final 36 holes, carding only one bogey while hitting just over 80 percent of his greens (including 15 of 18 on Sunday) for the week. With stats like that he should have won running away, but a balky putter kept him from the winner’s circle. He ended the week 65th in strokes gained-putting, and needed 61 putts (30, 31) to get around Quail Hollow on Saturday and Sunday.

The 18th at Quail Hollow proves to be a stern test — Known as one of the toughest finishing holes on the PGA Tour, the 18th at Quail Hollow lived up to its title on Sunday, yielding only four birdies and forcing the tournament to go extra holes. Some claim the 478-yard hole is tricked out with the creek running down the left and bunkers right, but the last thing you want is a finshing hole that let’s the leader think he can let off the gas. The 18th makes you think the entire way, and that’s exactly what you want from your closer.

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