Four-time major winner Rory McIlroy will begin the BMW Championship next week with his lowest world ranking in over three years.
McIlroy missed the cut in the Dell Technologies Championship and has slipped from fourth to sixth in the latest standings behind winner Justin Thomas and Spain’s Jon Rahm.
Not since July 2014 has the former world number one been as low as sixth, when he was ranked eighth after the Scottish Open, before going on to win the Open Championship at Hoylake a week later.
An injury-plagued season has meant that McIlroy has only played in 15 events so far, but has plans for three more events before a several month sabatical to give his lingering rib injury a chance to full recover.
McIlroy defeated Ryan Moore and Kevin Chappell in a play-off at East Lake 12 months ago to win the overall FedEx Cup title, and a welcome $10million bonus.
The 28-year-old is keen to avoid just his second full winless season since turning professional, and is due to contest the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship with his father Gerry from October 5-8 before calling time on a frustrating campaign.
sportingwayoflife.com 