Rory McIlroy feels ‘my game is where it needs to be’

McIlroy had been hampered by a back injury all week but carded a closing 65 on Sunday to finish fourth on 14 under at the Tour Championship in Georgia.

Now the Northern Irishman’s schedule will turn to the Horizon Irish Open in County Kildare from September 7-10.

McIlroy then heads to Wentworth in England for the BMW PGA Championship across September 14-17.

And it is off to Italy for the Ryder Cup from September 29 to October 1.

The United States will be bidding to retain the Ryder Cup after enjoying a record 19-9 victory two years ago and McIlroy told reporters: "There's a lot of us that were in that team at Whistling Straits and that didn't feel very nice, didn't feel good.

"So, yeah, I'm excited to get back over to Europe.

“We're all sort of making our way over to Europe a couple weeks early.

"So it will be nice to all get together, get some early team dinners before the week in Rome and sort of really feel like that sort of team chemistry is starting already.

"We're all, for the most part, playing really good.

"There's still a few weeks to go, but it's the next big thing in all of our calendars."

Norway's Viktor Hovland held off a determined challenge from Xander Schauffele in the final round of the Tour Championship to claim the FedEx Cup title and 18million US dollar (£14.1million) first prize.

"As the week went on it got looser and today it was pretty close to 100 per cent," McIlroy told Sky Sports on Sunday following a Tour Championship disrupted by back issues. "I wish I had felt like this the rest of the week but even without a bad back I'm not sure I'd have been able to hang with the two guys in front.

"Another solid week, my game is where it needs to be and as long as I stay healthy for the next few weeks I'm excited to get back to Europe, play in Ireland and at Wentworth and ultimately get my game in shape for the Ryder Cup."

Hovland, who won the BMW Championship seven days prior, carded a bogey-free closing 63 at East Lake to finish 27 under par, five shots ahead of Schauffele, who returned a superb 62.

The 25-year-old began the day with a six-shot lead and, following a delay of almost two hours due to the threat of lightning, maintained that advantage.

It was a win quickly celebrated by Europe's Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald.

"I walked 3 matches with Viktor at the last Ryder Cup," Donald wrote on Twitter. "He was great tee to green but his short game and putting let him down.

"He told me he wasn't clutch enough. Well he's about as clutch as they come now.

"What a year, what a finish, what a guy! Fedex Cup Champ."

Hovland agreed that his improved short game and response to poor shots have lifted him over the past year.

He said: "I believe in my game and if I hit one bad shot or make one mistake it's not the end of the world.”