Rory McIlroy admitted he remains dissatisfied with his swing heading into the Tour Championship despite a strong showing at the BMW Championship where he finished third, four strokes behind winner Wyndham Clark. McIlroy described his game as "so far away" from where it needed to be after a poor performance at the FedEx St Jude Championship, where he placed 66th out of 68 players. However, he improved significantly at Bellerive Country Club, birdieing three of the last four holes in the third round to get within five shots of Clark.

He tied for the lead with three holes to play but ultimately fell short as Clark birdied three of the final holes to win by three strokes. McIlroy acknowledged progress, saying he is "closer" than at the start of the week but still not happy with his swing. He noted he gave himself chances on the back nine but failed to convert key putts, particularly on the final holes.

A costly lay-up decision on the par-five 17th, where he went from bunker to bunker and made bogey while Clark birdied, proved pivotal. McIlroy conceded he should have avoided the left bunker and called the decision "stupid." Despite frustrations, he expressed encouragement from his performance and belief he can still compete, stating he can "piece it together" even when not at his best. He views the BMW Championship as a foundation to build on ahead of the season finale at East Lake.