VIRGINIA WATER, England (AP) -- Rory McIlroy is back at the tournament that ''kick-started'' his amazing run over the past 12 months.
McIlroy defends his title this week at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, the flagship event of the European Tour. He won here in 2014 after failing to make the cut the previous two years.
''This is what kick-started everything,'' McIlroy said Wednesday. ''This win, it gave me a lot of confidence to go on into the summer and do what I did. It was a real catalyst.''
He has won seven events in the last 12 months, including two majors - the British Open and the U.