Rory McIlroy’s brutal season continued this past weekend after finishing tied 68th place at the FedEx St Jude Championship while struggling after naming himself ‘golf’s nearly man’

Rory McIlroy struggled in every aspect of his game in Memphis this weekend

Rory McIlroy had one of the worst performances of his career at the FedEx St Jude Championship this past weekend in what can only be described as a worrying showing.

McIlroy finished in 68th place with Jordan Speith and Max Homa surprisingly playing just as poorly – the only two men to have finished below him. The Northern Irishman finished the tournament in Memphis with some worrying statistics, including having the second-worst driving week of his career (-4.015), the 21st-worst approach week of his career (-3.126), and the third-worst putting week of his career (-7.833).

The world number three finished at nine-over-par – a whopping 26 shots more than winner Hideki Matsuyama to drop him to fifth in the FedEx Cup standings while being 3,974 points behind leader Scottie Scheffler.

McIlroy made only one birdie on Sunday with his brutal round including a triple-bogey six at the par-three 14th after he sent his tee shot flying into the water.

Earlier last week, McIlroy stated that he’d begin to think of himself as the sport’s ‘nearly man’ after his recent disappointments at the US Open and Olympics.

This coming after coming agonisingly close to ending his 10-year wait for another major tournament win after he bogeyed three of his last four holes including missing a two-foot putt as Bryson DeChambeau won his second US Open. Just weeks later, McIlroy looked to be in line to win a medal for Ireland at the Olympics but ultimately fell to shots short.

Rory McIlroy hugely struggled at the FedEx St. Jude Championship

Speaking prior to the FedEx St Jude Championship in Memphis, Tennessee, McIlroy told reporters: ” I just have to finish off tournaments better. There’s been glimpses where I have done it, like Quail Hollow, for example, but obviously US Open, you know, Olympics.

“Yeah, I just, it’s just sort of, I feel like this year, maybe the last couple of years, I’ve just found a way to hit the wrong shot at the wrong time. That might go into preparation and trying to practice a little more under pressure at home. You know, you go through these things in golf, and you go through these little challenges, and you just have to try to figure out a way to get through it.

“And my challenge right now is, is that it’s, it’s really good, but not quite good enough to to sort of take home the silverware,” he continued, as he acknowledged that he has been doing some soul searching. “So it’s just, you know, something I’m having to work through.”