McIlroy enters the PGA Championship having won three times in eight starts this season, a .375 winning percentage that eclipses those of the Chicago White Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates and Colorado Rockies in the MLB as of May 11.

Three holes on Friday afternoon in 2010 as a young McIlroy just tried to make the cut might have altered the course of McIlroy's career.

The PGA Championship is brimming with compelling storylines ahead of Thursday's opening round, perhaps none bigger than whether Rory McIlroy will be able to build on his career Grand Slam success at one of his favourite venues.

Even Rory McIlroy must have had a good chuckle at how quickly the narrative shifted from ‘he will never win another major’ to ‘can he win the single-season Grand Slam?’

Rory McIlroy, a four-time winner at Quail Hollow and a two-time PGA Champion, is one of the favorites to win the PGA Championship this year, despite the challenging course conditions and a shift in his motivations.

Rory McIlroy, whose Masters triumph last month completed a years-long pursuit of the career Grand Slam, said on Wednesday he has accomplished everything in golf he ever dreamed of and will not be burdened by any number-specific goals going forward.

Rory McIlroy is back at Quail Hollow this week for the PGA Championship, a month after winning his first Masters and securing the career Grand Slam.

Rory McIlroy has everything he ever wanted in golf. The Masters delivered that with the final leg of the career Grand Slam.