Rory McIlroy ‘on way back to his best’

Tied-second finish in Korea has the Northern Irishman on the up

Rory McIlroy said his putting let him down in South Korea (Getty Images)

Rory McIlroy has claimed he is getting back to his best after finishing joint second in the Korean Open at the weekend.

The 24-year-old Northern Irishman, who had fallen 10 shots behind the lead after three rounds, carded five birdies in his final round to finish a shot behind winner Kang Sung-hoon.

After an impressive 2012 in which he claimed his second major and won the Order of Merits on both sides of the Atlantic, McIlroy’s form has slumped. He is yet to win a tournament in 2013, but McIlroy said: “Things are definitely on the up. I feel like I’m getting back to where I need to be. I’ve had to stay patient this season – it hasn’t been one of my best – but it’s getting there, it definitely is.”

McIlroy will play in the BMW Masters on Thursday before taking part in the HSBC WGC Championships a week later. Both tournaments are in Shanghai. “I’m excited about these next two weeks in China,” McIlroy said. “They’re a big two weeks for me to get a little bit of momentum for the end of the season. My putter let me down in the last couple of days [in Korea]. If I can get the putting right, hopefully I’ll have a chance.”