Rory McIlroy prepares to tee off in the final round of the WGC-HSBC Champions. Picture: Eoin Clarke/www.golffile.ieRory McIlroy claimed his place in the season-ending DP World Tour Championship with a sixth place finish in the WGC-HSBC Champions.

But while he once again repeated that he took “a step in the right direction” after a forgettable season, he admitted that he still has lots of work to do on his game before it’s close to the stellar standards that saw him become world No 1 in 2012.

Rory McIlroy laments a missed birdie putt. Picture: Eoin Clarke/www.golffile.ie“I still think there’s a good bit of work that needs to be done to my game, but it’s all heading in the right direction,” said McIlroy, who closed with a bogey free 69 to share sixth place and move up from 62nd to 38th in the Race to Dubai standings and comfortably into the final event in a fortnight’s time.

“It was a step in the right direction for sure. I don’t think anyone could have competed with Dustin this week. He played very, very well and obviously is a deserved champion.

“I just didn’t make enough birdies. I didn’t take advantage of the par 5s today and some of the short par 4s. So yeah, I mean, it’s probably one of my only bogey-free rounds of the year but it just didn’t contain enough birdies.

It was McIlroy’s second Top-10 of the year in a World Golf Championship following his share of eighth in the Cadillac Championship at Doral, just a week after his infamous walk-off in the Honda Classic.

“It’s something to build on and nice to go into an off-week now and I know that I’m into Dubai,” McIlroy said. “It would have been nice to try to get a win. I have three more tournaments left this year and I want to try to finish the season strongly.

“Obviously have good memories going to Dubai from winning there last year, so hopefully I can put up a strong defence of my title there.”

Rory McIlroy claimed his place in the season-ending DP World Tour Championship with a sixth place finish in the WGC-HSBC Champions.

But while he once again repeated that he took “a step in the right direction” after a forgettable season, he admitted that he still has lots of work to do on his game before it’s close to the stellar standards that saw him become world No 1 in 2012.

“I still think there’s a good bit of work that needs to be done to my game, but it’s all heading in the right direction,” said McIlroy, who closed with a bogey free 69 to share sixth place and move up from 62nd to 38th in the Race to Dubai standings and comfortably into the final event in a fortnight’s time.

“It was a step in the right direction for sure. I don’t think anyone could have competed with Dustin this week. He played very, very well and obviously is a deserved champion.

“I just didn’t make enough birdies. I didn’t take advantage of the par 5s today and some of the short par 4s. So yeah, I mean, it’s probably one of my only bogey-free rounds of the year but it just didn’t contain enough birdies.

It was McIlroy’s second Top-10 of the year in a World Golf Championship following his share of eighth in the Cadillac Championship at Doral, just a week after his infamous walk-off in the Honda Classic.

“It’s something to build on and nice to go into an off-week now and I know that I’m into Dubai,” McIlroy said. “It would have been nice to try to get a win. I have three more tournaments left this year and I want to try to finish the season strongly.

“Obviously have good memories going to Dubai from winning there last year, so hopefully I can put up a strong defence of my title there.”