2018: A MAJOR LETDOWN

Rory admits he’s flopped on big occasion...now he’s banking on Ryder Cup to save his season

RORY MCILROY admitted he had suffered a Major season to forget after a rollercoaster final round left him struggling to finish in the top 50 at the US PGA.

And the world No.5 said he might now skip the first event of the Fedex playoffs to get his game ready for the Ryder Cup.

While Tyrrell Hatton shot a 64 to leap up the leaderboard on the final day, the misfiring Ulsterman found water three times on his front nine but still made the turn at one under par after chipping in for his third birdie on No.9.

He escaped on No. 11 when he needed a penalty drop after driving wildly into shrubbery but his Major season appropriately finished with a bogey on the 18th after driving onto a cart path for a level-par 70 to finish two under par.

Mcilroy flopped in the final group on Sunday at the Masters and finished tied for second at the Open but he has now gone four years since winning his last Major at the 2014 US PGA.

“I probably won’t remember anything from this season of Majors,” he said.

“I don’t think anything was particularly memorable about it. I had one good chance. I guess I had two but I didn’t really contend on the back nine at Augusta. It has been a year when I have shown glimpses of what I can do. I guess I haven’t done it often enough.”

After heavy rain before and during the tournament, Bellerive Country Club in Missouri seemed like the perfect location for Mcilroy to end his Major drought.

But he was let down by his wayward wedge play to leave him considering missing the Northern Trust Open next week to work out the obvious flaws in his game. “I might take a couple of weeks off and reflect on what I am going to do,” said the fourtime Major winner. “It might not be a bad thing to take off the first Fedex week and work on my game. There is a lot of room for improvement.

“My swing has not been where I want it to be.

“It was OK at the start but it has regressed and I have fallen back into bad habits. My swing has been inconsistent – I have been missing it left and right. I am not taking out one side. I have a two-way miss going.”

Hatton, who missed the cut in all four Majors last season, carded six birdies and no bogeys for his best-ever round in a Major.

“It was obviously a good day,” said the world No.25 from High Wycombe (left).

“It was just nice to get a bit of a run going and actually make a score again.”

Tommy Fleetwood got a free drop after driving into a spectator’s chair on the 11th before making par on his way to a 68.