When McIlroy won back-to-back majors in 2014, everyone expected him to become the next poster boy of Golf and carry on with his relentless performances. However, his 2015 season was by no accounts a match and the trend seemed to continue in 2016.
It looked like he was stuck in a rut and his form with the putter was at best, mediocre. After winning four majors by the age of 25, he looked like he was fighting hard to save his 2016 season as he did not want to go winless on the PGA Tour after having found no joy in the majors.
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Following a week to forget at the Masters, Rory finished tied for fifth but a distant 15 shots behind Henrik Stenson. He followed on to miss the cuts at the PGA Championship at Baltusrol and the US Open at Oakmont.
His putting was largely to blame as the inconsistencies continued. The ball striking did not disappoint but an erratic putter meant that he failed to convert most of his birdie chances after good approaches.
The season was, so far, a let down by Rory's standards as he went winless.
His win at the Irish Open hosted by his foundation kept him believing he could turn his year around but it did not make up for his bad form across the pond in the United States.
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Ongoing putting woes meant he altered putting styles more than once and even changed putting coaches to start rolling the ball on his lines again.
He found himself ranked World no. 5 and 36th in the FedExCup after the majors. He knew he had one final chance at the FedExCup playoffs to salvage his PGA Tour season and get back to the level we all know he can play at.
After electing not to represent Ireland at the Olympics where Golf was back as a sport for the first time in over a century, he had 27 days after his missed cut at the PGA Championship to get ready for his FedExCup campaign.
Fast forward two months and the Nike stalwart who looked beaten up, seemed back on track. After a T-31 finish at the Barclays in New York, he captured the title at the Deustche Bank championship with a 15 under total.
McIlroy putted like his old self and had the look of a focused Rory. He got back the trademark bounce in his step and had that air of invincibility he seems to have whenever he comes up with something special.
With a classic performance at East Lake Golf club in Atlanta, he captured the Tour Championship and the FedExCup.
He began the day two shots behind a red-hot Dustin Johnson and Kevin Chappell. Three under through his first 15 holes, he found himself playing catch up facing a three-shot deficit with three holes to go.
He quickly reduced that to one on the very next hole by holing out from the fairway in dramatic fashion.
"I knew I needed something to happen," McIlroy said. "I was really just trying -- I said to myself on the 15th tee, if I can finish with three 3s, I'll give myself a chance. I didn't quite think the eagle was going to come as soon as it did.
"But when something like that happens, you have to make the most of it."
The shot which was followed by a big celebration will not be forgotten soon and will forever be remembered as one of the best shots of the FedExCup.
McIlroy delivered a performance for the ages and went on to par the 17th and then birdied the 18th to enter the clubhouse at 12 under par, tied with Kevin Chappell and Ryan Moore for the lead.
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The trio then returned to the 18th hole to get underway in the playoff. McIlroy hit his second shot to give himself a very makeable eagle chance and seemingly looked to have wrapped it up. However, the putt lipped out.
"I just had to regroup, stay focused, and try to give myself chances in the playoff," McIlroy said of the miss. "Thankfully I stayed patient enough to get it done."
Moore and Rory returned back to the 18th as Chappell exited the playoff after not being able to match his competitors' birdies. Both of them made par and followed on to par the 15th hole. The two moved on to the 16th where Rory sank a defining 15 footer for birdie and the victory after Moore had made an incredible sand-save.
"That ranks up there with just some of my best performances on the golf course regardless of the tournament," McIlroy said.
McIlroy finished the day being crowned the FedExCup champion after Dustin Johnson made a number of unforced errors in his final round.
Looking back on his tough spell up until two weeks ago, “I think you need weeks (the PGA Championship) like that,” McIlroy remarked. “I've always benefited from things like that in my career, from low points. I always feel like from a low point you can work yourself back up, and you can really assess what you need to do."
“So to be here and to win the FedExCup, especially where I came in in the mid-30s somewhere, to play the way I have in the last few weeks to get it done is very special.”
If you think about the situation Rory found himself in, to come up with a hole-out shot like that was a huge statement and it put to bed any doubts over his declining quality in the last couple of years.
PGA Tour's decision to flip the nines at East Lake to make for a memorable finish definitely paid off with the new back nine being conducive to lower scores.
The following week at the Ryder Cup, Rory McIlroy picked it up right where he left off at the Tour Championship.
He put in spectacular individual performances but could not guide his European team to victory over one of the strongest American teams they have faced in recent years.
Although his quest to complete the career grand slam will have to resume in 2017, Rory McIlroy turned around his fortunes and his season by winning the FedExCup accompanied by the $10 million bonus. With the Northern Irishman still in contention for the Race to Dubai title, he could still see the season being a highly successful one.
