CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- In golf's pandemic world, golf without spectators has often felt like the beach without sun.
For Rory McIlroy, the return of living, breathing souls along the ropes, behind tee boxes and surrounding greens -- ever so slowly but increasing week by week -- may have been just as important as straightening out the issues in his game.
Some of those remain, but the doubts about winning do not.
Given a boost by what was anecdotally the largest number of spectators to attend a PGA Tour event since the return of golf nearly a year ago, McIlroy overcame a shaky final hole at Quail Hollow to earn his first title in nearly 18 months.