Rory McIlroy is eight shots behind Rickie Fowler heading into tonight's final round of the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow after he continued the story of his year with an error-strewn round.

The world No 3 birdied two of his last four holes for a one over par 73 — his second over par score of the week — but still climbed five spots to tied 19th at a tough Quail Hollow despite making four bogeys and a double bogey six.

The four-time major winner had bogeyed the first and and fourth but then birdied the par-five fifth and seventh before taking six at the par-four ninth to turn in 38.

But he came home in one under 35, mixing bogeys at the 11th and 14th with a two closing birdies at the 14th and 17th, where he holed a huge 78 foot putt with 20 feet of break to get back to one over.

Asked what was bothering him in his game, he pointed to a season long failure to cut out mistakes

"I don't even think it's this week, I think it's been all year...  I three putted the first, I three putted 11, I didn't take some other opportunities that I give myself.  I just haven't been playing as efficient as I could be.  

"I feel like everything is sort of there, it's just a matter of putting it all together, and for the most part this year I haven't been able to do that.  There's been spells where it's been good and I've had a couple of chances to win this year, but it's a work in progress.  

"I'm trying to stay patient, as patient as possible, but there's definitely times out on the course where I get quite frustrated."

Having putted poorly, McIlroy could at least smile as he holed that bomb on the 17th.

"It was a bonus to finish like that.  Yeah, always nice to hole a putt like that coming in.  It was a tough enough day but to play the last four holes at 2 under is decent.  I'm sure a few guys coming in this afternoon would take that finish."

As for his hopes of a repeat of last season, when he shot 61 to win, he said: "That would be nice. With the conditions of the course I'm not sure that's going to be possible but something in the mid 60s would be decent."

At the top of the leaderboard, Fowler shot a 68 to lead by one from Robert Castro on nine under par.

Meanwhile, on the chipping green: