Improved McIlroy to rest back before turning to Irish Open 

Rory McIlroy finished strongly with a 5-under 65 to place fourth on 14-under in his Tour Championship title defence.

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - AUGUST 27: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland reacts after finishing on the 18th green during the final round of the TOUR Championship at East Lake Golf Club on August 27, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images)

At the end of a long week of nursing back spasms, Rory McIlroy was feeling better and finished strongly with a 5-under 65 to finish fourth on 14-under in his Tour Championship title defence. He made five birdies in the last seven holes, only marred by a bogey at 16 that kept him from pushing for third.

“Hung in there the first couple days when I really wasn't feeling great. Then quite a bit of improvement yesterday,” McIlroy said. “Then felt I could actually tee the driver up a bit today and hit a couple of tee shots in the air. Felt like I could cover the ball more with my irons. So, just excited that I'm feeling better. So that's good, going into the next few weeks, and nice to sign off with a good score.”