Rory McIlroy came agonisingly close to another PGA Tour victory on Sunday, but Wyndham Clark produced a spectacular finish to snatch the BMW Championship away from him at Bellerive Country Club.
McIlroy started the final round five shots behind the leader but gradually worked his way into contention. By the closing stretch, the four-time major champion had moved into a share of the lead and appeared to have a genuine chance of taking the title.
However, the momentum shifted dramatically over the final holes.
McIlroy’s costly bogey-six on the par-5 17th opened the door, and Clark took full advantage. The American closed with three consecutive birdies from the 16th through the 18th to pull clear and secure a three-shot victory over Patrick Cantlay.
McIlroy eventually signed for a 69 to finish solo third at 13-under par, but his reaction afterwards was remarkably measured.
Speaking to CBS Sports, McIlroy admitted that he could not be too disappointed because he knows he is still not quite at the level he expects from himself.
“Obviously a big improvement on last week,” McIlroy said.
“I don’t think I can be too disappointed, I’m probably not playing well enough to be disappointed that I didn’t win, but I had my chances on the back nine and started to hit some nice shots.”
The comments offered an honest assessment of where McIlroy currently believes his game stands.
He was good enough to fight his way into contention, but when the pressure reached its highest point, Clark was the player who produced the decisive shots.
McIlroy also credited his opponent for the way he handled the closing stretch.
“I hit a lot of good putts that didn’t go in but Wyndham stepped up when needed to,” McIlroy said. “The birdie on 16 was huge and the way he played the last three holes he showed a lot of character there.”
Despite the disappointment, there was no bitterness from McIlroy.
The two players were later seen embracing, with McIlroy congratulating Clark and telling him: “Great character, that was awesome. Well done.”
The third-place finish nevertheless represents a significant improvement for McIlroy after his disappointing solo 66th-place finish at the FedEx St. Jude Championship the previous week.
Now, his attention turns to East Lake and the Tour Championship.
McIlroy has already won the FedEx Cup three times and will have another opportunity to claim a record fourth title.
For now, though, the BMW Championship has left him with a mixture of disappointment and encouragement — and perhaps the clearest indication yet that he knows exactly what still needs to improve in his game.