Rory McIlroy focused on 2018 after disappointing finish at Dunhill Links

Rory McIlroy believes his game is in better shape than during his initial major success, despite a frustrating finish to his 2017 campaign at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

McIlroy ended his last scheduled event of the year in a share of 63rd spot at St. Andrews, post a level-par 72 in the final round after mixing two birdies with two bogeys.

The world No 6 heads into his extended winter break without a worldwide victory since last year's Tour Championship, a first winless campaign since 2008, but feels confident of a return to better fortunes in 2018.

"I'm definitely a better player I feel than the player that won some of those tournaments and some of those majors," McIlroy said. "I feel like I'm a much better player now than I was in 2010 and 2012 when I was able to win a couple of majors.

"I see no reason why I can't better that in the next 10 years and that's why I feel like these three months are very important for me; to put some really good things in place and step away and just reassess everything and where I'm at and where I need to be."

European Tour Golf

Making the cut on the mark on four under after posting rounds of 73, 71 and 68 over the first three days, McIlroy reached the turn in 36 before cancelling out a gain at the fifth with a blemish at the seventh.

"I think my last round of 2017 sort of summed up all of 2017," McIlroy added. "It hasn't been the year I wanted on the golf course.

"I started the year with grabbed ambitions trying to add to my major tally and trying to win golf tournaments and get back up near the top of the World Rankings. I obviously have not been able to do that.

"I feel like I can still salvage something from the rest of the year. Even though I'm not playing [how I want to], I've given myself a lot of opportunities to put a lot of good foundations in place going forward. That's what I'm going to concentrate on from now until the end of the year."