Rory McIlroy openly acknowledged that he remains dissatisfied with the state of his swing as the season draws to a close with the Tour Championship, even though he came agonisingly close to clinching the BMW Championship title. After a lackluster showing at the FedEx St. Jude Championship, where he finished 66th out of a 68‑player field, McIlroy dramatically improved his play in St.
Louis, but he still feels his game is "far away" from where it ought to be. At Bellerive Country Club, the world No. 2 surged back into contention by birdieing three of his last four holes in the third round, pulling within five strokes of the leader, Wyndham Clark. That performance set up a Sunday showdown with the US Open champion, and McIlroy managed to draw level with Clark on the final day, creating a thrilling head‑to‑head battle.
Despite tying for the lead with three holes remaining, McIlroy ultimately finished third, four shots behind Clark, who closed out the tournament with a three‑birdie finish to win by three strokes and secure his third PGA Tour victory of the year. "I'm closer [with my game] than I was at the start of the week," McIlroy said, but added, "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." He also reflected on his ability to stay competitive even when he is not completely satisfied: "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 seized an early two‑shot advantage on the first hole and recovered from bogeys on the fourth and seventh holes. He then posted three birdies over a four‑hole stretch beginning at the eighth, which allowed him to catch Clark after the American posted three over his first ten holes.
Throughout the round, McIlroy kept the pressure on, 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 as McIlroy slipped a shot. Clark sealed his victory with another birdie on the 18th, widening the margin over runner‑up Patrick Cantlay.
Speaking after the round, 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." He continued, "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, eventually birdieing the hole, while McIlroy's aggressive attempt sent his ball into a bunker, leading to a costly bogey. Reflecting on that decision, McIlroy admitted, "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 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 culminates 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‑place prize and the coveted FedExCup trophy. As the field narrows, fans and analysts alike are speculating on who will emerge victorious in the final showdown. The tournament will be broadcast live on Sky Sports, with coverage beginning Thursday at 5 p.m. on Sky Sports Golf, and streaming options available without a contract via NOW.