'I'm not in a spot where I'm super happy': Rory McIlroy admits he still has room for improvement

Wyndham Clark ended the tournament three shots clear of Patrick Cantlay, who edged McIlroy for second.

ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT: Rory McIlroy was pipped to the BMW Championship title in St Louis by Wyndham Clark. Pic: AP Photo/Jeff Roberson.

Rory McIlroy was pipped to the BMW Championship title in St Louis by Wyndham Clark after his final-round fightback fell short.

The back-to-back Masters champion started the final round five shots behind overnight leader Clark but was level after 15 holes.

But while McIlroy bogeyed the 17th, Clark maintained his composure to birdie the 16th, 17th and 18th holes to wrest back control and finish the tournament on 17 under par.

The two-time US Open champion ended the tournament three shots clear of Patrick Cantlay, who edged McIlroy for second.

It moves Clark up to third in the FedExCup Rankings after he won his third PGA Tour title of the season.

McIlroy had multiple chances to take the lead outright but he was not able to get a putt to drop before ultimately making a bogey six on hole 17 to end his challenge.

"I felt like most of my game held up today," began McIlroy.

"Obviously going out in the final group and you're working on some stuff, you know, you're just hoping that everything stays the way it is. But, yeah, I hit it well on the back nine. I gave myself plenty of chances.

"I just couldn't get a putt to drop there those final few holes. Yeah, I felt, I always felt like I needed to just get my nose ahead to really try to put the pressure on Wyndham, and I couldn't. We were tied there for a few holes, and then when he made that putt on 16 for 2 and I couldn't answer, that was obviously a huge moment in the round and in the tournament.

"But overall encouraged with how I played this week compared to what it was last week, and certainly something to build ongoing into East Lake."

McIlroy birdied the opening hole at Bellerive Country Club, while Clark three-putted to bogey the 415-yard par four.

McIlroy dropped shots at the fourth and seventh but responded with back-to-back birdies before the turn.

Another gain at the 11th put him in a tie for the lead, but he could not get a birdie putt to drop on the next five holes before he found sand twice on the 17th to end his challenge.

Clark was three over for the day heading to the 16th tee, but a 16-foot putt on that hole earned him his first birdie and he followed it by sinking efforts from 13 and 17 feet on the next two greens to get over the line in style.

Cantlay’s closing 68 saw him finish a shot ahead of McIlroy, with fellow Americans Gary Woodland, Collin Morikawa and Chris Gotterup in a tie for fourth on 12 under, and Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre finishing in a tie for seventh after a brilliant closing 65.

"I'm closer than I was at the start of the week," added McIlroy. "But I'm still, I'm not in a spot where I'm super happy with where my game is or where my swing is.

"So I just have to keep working on it. But it's nice to know even when I'm not super happy with everything I can still, you know, piece it together and get it around and still give myself a chance to win tournaments.