Rory McIlroy, the current king of golf, is undoubtedly the star attraction at Quail Hollow for the PGA Championship.

Every time he steps out of the locker room in Charlotte, North Carolina, a throng of fans and media follow him.

His press conference on Wednesday, which had been rescheduled due to a storm disrupting Tuesday's schedule, drew the largest crowd of the week.

In front of this audience, he discussed his mindset after achieving the career grand slam at the Masters and responded bluntly to Bryson DeChambeau's comments about their final round at the Masters.

As McIlroy began his practice round on the 10th hole at around 1:30pm local time, the crowd momentarily shifted its attention to Min Woo Lee signing autographs.

However, as soon as word spread that McIlroy was on the course, the crowd quickly regrouped and followed him.

The number of followers grew as he prepared for his opening day tee time with Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele at 8:22am ET, which will also start on the 10th hole.

New playing partners - and no hard feelings.

McIlroy has been seen practising with a new group this week, including Rasmus Hojgaard, Tom McKibbin and Keita Nakajima.

The decision to include McKibbin in his practice round is noteworthy but not unexpected.

McKibbin, a promising 22 year old golfer from Northern Ireland, has previously received guidance from McIlroy, although he disregarded his advice to reject the lucrative offers of LIV Golf in favour of playing on the PGA Tour.

Despite this, his decision seems to be paying off as he prepares to make his debut at the PGA Championship this week, thanks to a sponsor's invitation.

Although McKibbin had texted McIlroy to congratulate him after the Masters, they hadn't spoken before the tournament. However, they've now had an opportunity to catch up, and it's clear there are no hard feelings between them.

McIlroy was even seen offering McKibbin some tips around Quail Hollow as they shared the course the day before the tournament begins.

As previously noted, McIlroy and his high-profile group will start their game on the 10th hole on Thursday morning, providing an excellent chance for a strong start.

Tactics in motion

During his practice round, it was evident that McIlroy agrees with this strategy. After driving his ball into the left fairway bunker on the 592-yard Par 5, he chose to lay up.

However, he also took the opportunity to practise a wood shot from next to the bunker, which ended up trickling into the bunker on the right side of the green.

Despite his aim being slightly off, McIlroy's shot had enough power to reach the green. It's clear that he has the power - and likely the ambition - to make the green in two, giving himself a chance at an eagle or at least a good birdie opportunity.

Short game triumph.

On the 11th hole, a Par 4, McIlroy found himself at the back of the green, just behind the pin. As the crowd around him grew, he calmly chipped in, generating applause and a cheer from the spectators who were thrilled to see their hero in action.

The short game is crucial in any major, despite the emphasis on power and length. A few more shots like that will certainly boost McIlroy's chances.

Focused yet courteous.

Wherever McIlroy goes, people want a piece of his time. He was surrounded by fans of all ages as he left each tee box and green, all hoping for a selfie or an autograph.

Understandably, when McIlroy is on the course, he is completely focused. He is in work mode, as he should be.

However, he still took the time to be polite, promising several children that he would sign autographs once the round was over and apologising for the wait. True to his word, they got their chance when he left the 18th green and could momentarily take his mind off his game.