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 within a whisker of winning the BMW Championship. After a disappointing showing at the FedEx St. Jude Championship, where he finished 66th out of 68 competitors, McIlroy dramatically improved his play in St.
Louis, sparking optimism but also highlighting lingering concerns about his technique. At Bellerive Country Club, the world No.
2 birdied three of the final four holes in his third round, pulling himself to within five strokes of the leader, Wyndham Clark. That surge set up a Sunday showdown with the US Open champion, and McIlroy managed to level the score with Clark on the final day, creating a tense, head‑to‑head battle. Despite being tied for the lead with three holes remaining, McIlroy ultimately finished third, four strokes behind Clark, who closed with a three‑birdie finish to secure a three‑shot victory and his third PGA Tour win of the year.
"I'm closer to where I want to be than I was at the start of the week," McIlroy said, but he was quick to add, "I'm still not in a place where I'm super happy with my game or my swing, so I have to keep working on it." He also noted that even when his confidence is not at its peak, he can still assemble enough of his game to compete for titles. "It's reassuring to know that even when I'm not thrilled with everything, I can still piece things together, get the ball around the course and give myself a chance to win tournaments," he explained. McIlroy took advantage of a two‑shot swing on the opening hole and recovered from early bogeys on holes four and seven.
He then produced three birdies over a four‑hole stretch beginning at the eighth, which allowed him to catch up after Clark stumbled with three over on his first ten holes. The momentum shift kept the contest alive until the closing holes. Clark, however, regained control with a 15‑foot birdie putt on the 16th and followed it with a two‑shot swing on the next par‑five, securing a birdie as McIlroy dropped a shot. Clark added another birdie on the 18th, extending his margin of victory over Patrick Cantlay and cementing his win.
Reflecting on his own performance, McIlroy said, "Most of my game held up today. Being in the final group, I'm constantly tweaking things, hoping everything stays steady.
I hit the ball well on the back nine and gave myself plenty of opportunities, but I just couldn't convert the putts in those closing holes. I always felt I needed to get my nose ahead to apply pressure on Wyndham, and I couldn't." He continued, "We were tied for a few holes, and then when he made that putt on 16 for a two, I couldn't answer – that was a huge moment in the round and the tournament. Overall, I'm encouraged by how I played this week and see it as a foundation to build on heading to East Lake." Both competitors found trouble off the tee on the par‑five 17th. Clark chose to lay up, eventually making birdie, while McIlroy's aggressive line sent him from bunker to bunker, culminating in a tournament‑ending bogey.
"I tried to hit it a bit too far," McIlroy admitted afterward. "I should have taken that left bunker out of play. If you're going to lay up, lay it up – that was another stupid decision on a par‑five that cost me dearly." When CBS Sports asked whether he felt he deserved the win, McIlroy responded, "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 just didn't drop. Wyndham stepped up when he needed to. His birdie on 16 was huge, and the way he played the last three holes showed a lot of character." The PGA Tour season now heads 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 prize and the coveted FedExCup trophy.
Fans will be watching closely to see if McIlroy can translate the progress he showed in St. Louis into a breakthrough performance at East Lake, or if Clark will continue his strong finish and add another major accolade to his résumé.
The final stretch promises high drama, as the remaining contenders vie for the season‑ending honors and the substantial financial reward that comes with the FedExCup title.