Back at the scene of his breakthrough win on the US PGA Tour, Rory McIlroy rescued a round that could have been slipping away from him to finish three shots off the clubhouse lead at the Wells Fargo Championship in Quail Hollow.

Four years since becoming the youngest tour winner since Tiger Woods, two days shy of his 21st birthday, McIlroy is seeking to end a 20-month Stateside drought that has seen him slip out of the world's top 10.

And the two-time major winner, who turns 25 on Sunday, cut a confident figure, not least with his troublesome putter, on the familiar Quail Hollow track as he reached the turn in an impressive three under. Starting on the Par 5 10th, McIlroy hit the ground running and while he would bogey the 16th, further bridies at the 15th, 17th and 18th kept him moving in the right direction.

With Angel Cabrera, on six under, already in the clubhouse McIlroy would have hoped to put pressure on the Argentine but came unstuck after the turn with back-to-back bogeys on the 3rd and 4th. However, he bounced straight back to pick up shots at the next two holes to finish within three shots of the lead and claim, as things stand, a share of fourth place.

It was a different story for Darren Clarke, who continues to struggle with his game, and a four-over round of 76 won't help his chances of making the cut. Padraig Harrington was among the late starters.

McIlroy fell out of the top 10 this week for the first time since January 2011 and spoke before this event of his desire to climb back up the rankings.

“It’s not nice to drop out,” McIlroy admitted. “Over three years in the top 10, you sort of get comfortable there. Hopefully, I can get myself back up into the sort of territory I have been at the last few years.”

“I missed 15 putts inside 8 feet the week of the Masters,” McIlroy said of his form on the greens. “I’ve worked on a few things since the Masters, and that’s the part of the game that I’m trying to improve a little bit more.”