Rory McIlroy drives into contention at Wells Fargo Championship

WASHINGTON – Rory McIlroy charged into contention at the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow, with his four-under 67 bringing him within a shot of leader Xander Schauffele heading into the final round.

Schauffele, who held a four-stroke lead heading into the third round, shot a 70 to leave him 12-under 201 through 54 holes.

Ahead of the May 16-19 PGA Championship, the second men’s Major of the year, McIlroy is battling for his second title of the season.

It would also be his fourth win at the Charlotte, North Carolina course, scene of his first victory on the PGA Tour back in 2010.

His decision to compete in April’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans team event was seen by some as simply a gesture of commitment to the PGA Tour from a player who has positioned himself as one of its biggest defenders. But the world No. 2 insisted that the tournament, which he won with Shane Lowry, would help him find form after his disappointing showing at the Masters and his performance in North Carolina has, so far, justified that decision.

The Northern Irishman was the only player to go bogey-free on May 11 and he was at his very best with driver in hand.

McIlroy is the best in the field in strokes gained off the tee and in driving distance in this event and his opening birdie came on the par-four fifth, where he hammered his drive 341 yards down the fairway before landing his chip four feet from the hole.

He birdied again on the par-four ninth, where his 180-yard iron shot left him a 10-foot putt and he was immaculate all round on the par-five 10th.

His final birdie came on the par-four 14th. After his round, McIlroy was quick to credit his experience in Louisiana for his outstanding driving rather than his sessions with veteran coach Butch Harmon.

McIlroy averaged 332.8 yards and 187.9 mph (302 kmh) off the tee on May 11 – the fourth-best driving day of his career, according to CBS Sports’ Rick Gehman.

“I would say that’s a direct result of some of the feelings I got in New Orleans a couple of weeks ago. A lot of the stuff Butch and I worked on was more like iron play and wedges,” he said.

“The driving is more just me committing to most of the time hitting that little cut that I’ve been hitting off the tee, and then having the freedom to just, every time I hit a good tee shot, the more confidence I get and then the more I want to just keep hitting it.”

McIlroy’s putter has been hot too – he has not had a bogey since the first round.

“Two straight bogey-free rounds, this is what it must feel like to be Scottie Scheffler,” McIlroy joked of the world No. 1 and Masters champion, who is not playing this week.

“I think I’ve held out pretty well for the most part inside six feet, and then I think because I know this golf course so well, I’ve missed it in the right spots when I have missed the green.

“Yeah, to play two rounds in a row on this golf course in these conditions bogey-free is a bit of a feather in my cap.”

American Schauffele made birdie on the par-five seventh but bogeyed the par-four 12th where he missed an 11-foot putt for par but ended one under after a birdie on the 14th.

After his opening rounds of 64 and 67, Schauffele was disappointed with his third-round play.

“Not as clean. Some sleepy wedges in there, some really good up-and-downs, kind of a mixed bag. Definitely made it harder on myself is what it felt like from being in some good spots in the fairway,” he said.

South Korea’s Im Sung-jae (69) was four shots off the lead in third. AFP, REUTERS