Rory McIlroy openly acknowledged that his swing still falls short of his expectations as he approaches the season‑ending Tour Championship, even though he came agonisingly close to winning the BMW Championship. The Northern Irish star described his recent form as "far from where it needs to be" after a disappointing showing at the FedEx St. Jude Championship, where he finished 66th out of a 68‑player field.
In stark contrast, his performance in St. Louis was a marked improvement, allowing him to contend for the title. At Bellerive Country Club, McIlroy birdied three of his final four holes in the third round, pulling within five strokes of the tournament leader, Wyndham Clark.
That surge set up a Sunday showdown with the US Open champion. On the final day, McIlroy managed to tie Clark with three holes remaining, but ultimately finished third, four shots behind the winner. Clark closed the tournament with a three‑birdie finish, securing a three‑shot victory and his third PGA Tour win of the season.
"I'm closer [with my game] than I was at the start of the week," McIlroy admitted after the round. "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 and get it around and still give myself a chance to win tournaments." McIlroy took advantage of a two‑shot swing on the opening hole and recovered from early 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 level the score after Clark had stumbled with three over the first ten holes. The Irishman continued to press, but Clark responded with a 15‑foot birdie on the 16th and followed it with a birdie on the next par‑five, extending his lead. A final birdie on the 18th sealed Clark's win and gave him a comfortable margin over Patrick Cantlay.
Reflecting on his own play, McIlroy said, "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.
We were tied there for a few holes and then when he made that putt on 16 for a two and I couldn't answer — that was obviously a huge moment in the round and in the tournament. Overall, I'm encouraged with how I played this week and certainly something to build on going into East Lake." Both competitors found trouble off the tee on the par‑five 17th.
Clark elected to lay up, a decision that ultimately led to a birdie after he navigated the hole cleanly. McIlroy, on the other hand, tried to carry the distance, ending up in a bunker and then another bunker before making a bogey that effectively ended his chances.
"I tried to get it up a bit too far," McIlroy conceded. "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 asked whether he felt he deserved the win, McIlroy told CBS Sports, "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 will compete for the $10 million first‑place prize and the coveted FedExCup trophy. Fans will be watching closely to see whether McIlroy can fine‑tune his swing in time to mount a serious challenge for the final title, or if Clark will continue his strong finish and add another PGA Tour victory to his résumé.
The drama of the season finale promises high‑stakes golf, strategic decisions, and the ever‑present quest for consistency at the highest level of the sport.