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 winning the BMW Championship. The Northern Irish star described his recent form as "far from where it needs to be" after a lacklustre showing at the FedEx St.
Jude Championship, where he finished 66th out of a 68‑player field. By contrast, his performance in St. Louis was a marked improvement and gave him a glimpse of what he is capable of when his game clicks.
At Bellerive Country Club, McIlroy birdied three of his final four holes in the third round, pulling himself 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 dramatic head‑to‑head battle that kept fans on the edge of their seats.
Despite tying for the lead with three holes remaining, McIlroy ultimately finished third, four shots behind Clark, who sealed a three‑birdie finish to claim a three‑shot victory and his third PGA Tour win of the year. Reflecting on his performance, McIlroy said, "I'm closer [with my game] than I was at the start of the week, but I'm still not in a place where I'm super happy with where my swing is, so I have to keep working on it." He added, "It's encouraging to know that even when I'm not completely satisfied with every aspect of my game, I can still piece things together, get around the course, and give myself a chance to win tournaments." This optimism was evident in his round, where he capitalised on a two‑shot swing on the first hole and rebounded from bogeys on the fourth and seventh holes by posting three birdies over a four‑hole stretch beginning at the eighth. Those birdies brought him level with Clark after the American posted three over his first ten holes. Clark, however, regained the momentum with a 15‑foot birdie on the 16th and followed it with another birdie on the subsequent par‑five, while McIlroy dropped a shot.
Clark then secured a final‑hole birdie that extended his winning margin over Patrick Cantlay and cemented his triumph. McIlroy reflected on the day, saying, "Most of my game held up today.
Being in the final group, I'm always working on certain things, and you hope everything stays steady. I hit the ball well on the back nine and gave myself plenty of opportunities, but I just couldn't get the putts to drop in those closing holes.
I 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 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 it's definitely something to build on heading into East Lake." Both competitors found trouble off the tee on the par‑five 17th. Clark elected to lay up, positioning himself for a birdie, while McIlroy's ball landed in a bunker, forcing him to play a risky shot that resulted in a tournament‑ending bogey.
"I tried to get it up 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." 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 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‑place prize and the coveted FedExCup trophy. As the race tightens, fans will be watching closely to see whether McIlroy can fine‑tune his swing in time to mount a serious challenge for the ultimate prize. Looking ahead, McIlroy has expressed a desire to use the lessons learned from this near‑miss as a catalyst for improvement.
He plans to focus on consistency in his swing mechanics, sharpening his short‑game, and managing decision‑making on the course—especially when it comes to lay‑up choices on par‑fives. By addressing these areas, he hopes to return to his dominant form and contend for more titles in the upcoming season.
The drama surrounding the FedExCup race, the intense competition among the world's best golfers, and the high stakes at East Lake promise an exciting finish to the PGA Tour calendar. Viewers can catch all four rounds of the Tour Championship live on Sky Sports, with coverage beginning Thursday at 5 p.m. on Sky Sports Golf, or stream the action without a contract via the NOW platform.