Tour Championship: Rory McIlroy got the fast start he wanted - but sloppy finish lets him down

Rory McIlroy was cruising along with an unblemished 4-under through 10 holes to cut his opening eight-shot deficit in half on leader Patrick Cantlay

Ireland's Rory McIlroy lines up a putt on the first at the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Clubin Atlanta, Georgia. Picture: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Rory McIlroy got the start he wanted on Thursday at the Tour Championship. It was the finish that hurt him.

Needing to make up ground on 15 players ahead of him on the pre-set leaderboard at East Lake Golf Club in the PGA Tour’s season finale, McIlroy was cruising along with an unblemished 4-under through 10 holes to cut his opening eight-shot deficit in half on leader Patrick Cantlay. But he stumbled in with bogeys on 13, 15 and 16 before a closing birdie at the par-5 18th.