Rory McIlroy openly acknowledged that he remains dissatisfied with the state of his swing as he approaches the season‑ending Tour Championship, even though he came agonisingly close to clinching the BMW Championship title. The Northern Irish star described his performance as "far from where it needs to be" after a lackluster showing at the FedEx St. Jude Championship, where he finished 66th out of 68 competitors. In stark contrast, he delivered a markedly stronger display in St.
Louis, signalling that his game was beginning to find its rhythm again. At Bellerive Country Club, McIlroy birdied three of the final four holes in his third round, pulling within five strokes of tournament leader Wyndham Clark. That surge set up a Sunday showdown between the two, with McIlroy eventually drawing level with the U.S. Open champion on the final day.
Although he stayed tied for the lead with three holes remaining, he ultimately slipped to third place, finishing four shots behind Clark, who sealed a three‑birdie finish to capture a three‑stroke victory and his third PGA Tour win of the year. "I'm closer [with my game] than I was at the start of the week," McIlroy admitted in the post‑round interview.
"I'm still not in a spot where I'm super happy with where my game is or where my swing is, so I just have to keep working on it. It's nice to know, even when I'm not super happy with everything, I can still piece it together, get it around, and still give myself a chance to win tournaments." McIlroy seized an early advantage with a two‑shot swing on the opening hole and managed to recover from bogeys on the fourth and seventh holes. He then produced three birdies over a four‑hole stretch beginning at the eighth, which allowed him to catch up after Clark stumbled, posting three over par through his first ten holes. The back‑nine saw McIlroy continue to press his attack, stringing together solid shots and creating several scoring opportunities, yet he was unable to convert the crucial putts that would have forced a playoff.
Clark, meanwhile, maintained composure under pressure. He edged ahead with a 15‑foot birdie putt on the 16th and followed it up with a two‑shot swing on the subsequent par‑five, securing another birdie as McIlroy dropped a shot. Clark then closed out the round with a final‑hole birdie that expanded his margin over runner‑up Patrick Cantlay.
McIlroy reflected on his overall performance, noting, "I felt like most of my game held up today. Obviously, going out in the final group and you're working on some stuff, you're just hoping that everything stays the way it is.
I hit it well on the back nine. I gave myself plenty of chances. I just couldn't get a putt to drop there in those final few holes.
I always felt like I needed to just get my nose ahead to really try to put the pressure on Wyndham and I couldn't." Both competitors encountered trouble on the par‑five 17th. Clark elected to lay up, a decision that ultimately led to a birdie after he positioned his ball favorably. McIlroy, however, found himself shuttling from bunker to bunker and ultimately carded a tournament‑ending bogey. He later confessed, "I tried to get it up a bit too far.
I should have been taking that left bunker out of play. If you're going to lay it up, lay it up, so just another stupid decision with a lay‑up on a par‑five that cost me." When CBS Sports asked whether he felt he deserved the win, McIlroy replied, "I can't be too disappointed. I'm probably not playing well enough to be disappointed that I didn't win.
I had my chances on the back nine and hit a lot of good putts that didn't go in. Wyndham Clark stepped up when he needed to. His birdie on 16 was huge and the way he played the last three holes, he showed a lot of character." The PGA Tour season now builds toward its climax at the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club, where only the top 30 players in the FedExCup standings are eligible to compete for the $10 million first prize and the coveted FedExCup trophy.
As the field narrows, the pressure intensifies, and players like McIlroy will look to fine‑tune their swings and mental approach in the final weeks leading up to East Lake. Fans can follow the decisive four rounds live on Sky Sports, with coverage beginning Thursday at 5 p.m.
on Sky Sports Golf, or stream without a contract via NOW. The outcome will determine who lifts the FedExCup and who finishes the season with a memorable triumph.