Rory McIlroy cuts the Wells Fargo gap to set up Sunday showdown with Xander Schauffele

Having won as a final-day chaser on three previous occasions – from gaps of, respectively, nine shots (2010), three shots (2015) and two shots (2021) – Northern Ireland’s McIlroy has just a single-shot target entering Sunday around Quail Hollow Country Club.

Facing a four-shot deficit behind Schauffele entering his third day, McIlroy made it back-to-back bogey-free rounds with a 67 that featured birdies on the fifth, ninth, 10th and 14th holes towards a four-under Saturday tally that puts him three beyond the closest challenger.

When McIlroy and Schauffele tee off from 6.45PM Sunday UK time as the final pairing, the former can draw motivation for his search from three previous last-day paths to success.

Also, McIlroy’s final appearance before a second major of the season - in the US PGA Championship – arrives off the back of a recent team triumph alongside Shane Lowry at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, plus January’s Dubai Desert Classic win.

"I'm going to have to earn it tomorrow,” Schauffele told PGA Tour.com. “I've got Rory breathing down my neck.”

McIlroy is enjoying the benefits of a recent coaching review.

McIlroy said on PGA Tour.com: “Every time I hit a good tee shot, the more confidence I get...and then the more I want to just keep hitting it.”

He added: “I've holed 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,” said McIlroy on PGA Tour.com. “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, I'm pretty proud of that.”