Rory eyes momentum swing

McIlroy: Momentum swing

I wasn't happy with my game. I was a little bit tired, a bit grumpy. But I worked at it and I worked at it and it's coming around.

Rory McIlroy
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Rory McIlroy hopes his sparkling final round in Shanghai will give him added momentum heading into the season-ending Race to Dubai.

The 20-year-old Northern Irishman shot a brilliant course-record final round of nine-under-par 63 to claim fourth place at the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions behind winner Phil Mickelson.

The Holywood star cut Lee Westwood's lead at the top of the Order of Merit to less than £47,000 with just two events remaining after leapfrogging Martin Kaymer into second place.

Westwood and McIlroy head to Hong Kong this week while Kaymer goes home to Germany for further treatment on his foot injury, but the race for the Harry Vardon trophy will still go down to the season-ending Dubai World Championship later this month.

"It certainly gives me momentum going into the next two weeks," said McIlroy. "I'm feeling a lot better about my game than I was. Hopefully, it's a springboard into the next two weeks and I'm looking forward to it.

Working hard

"I've been working hard, my ball striking wasn't the best over the first few days. I hit it poorly on Thursday and as the week progressed I've hit it gradually better and better and then everything just clicked into place.

"I hit my irons well and got it up and down when I needed to. It was just a very, very solid final round."

McIlroy hit seven birdies and the only bogey of his round over his first eight holes, in sharp contrast to Mickelson and Tiger Woods who found low scoring tough.

The birdies did initially dry up for McIlroy on the back nine, although he still finished strongly with three shots picked up over his final five holes to leap up the leaderboard ahead of world number one Woods, who struggled to a level-par 72 and finished sixth.

"I wasn't happy with my game. I was a little bit tired, a bit grumpy. But I worked at it and I worked at it and it's coming around," added McIlroy.

"And it was really nice to see a few go in. It was great to shoot a low number."

After winning his maiden European Tour title with a wire-to-wire victory in Dubai at the start of the year, McIlroy is in the hunt for a maiden order of merit title in just his second full season.