That Rory McIlroy's front nine mini-collapse final round in the Charles Schwab Challange came as no great surprise said it all about what makes him such an enigmatic star.

Four major wins by the age of 25 raised the bar to dizzying heights and after a brilliant 18 months with Brad Faxon that have brought four more wins and 22 top-10 finishes in 28 starts, he looked likely to make another charge for victory at storied Colonial Country Club on Sunday only to fall at the very first hurdle in his first start for 90 days.

That he was paired with bulked up Bryson DeChambeau had pundits like Paul McGinley licking their lips. Would it descend into an ego-driven long-driving contest or would McIlroy have the patience to play his own game and get the win that he’s been seeking since last year’s WGC - HSBC Champions?

Scores

"He's been a little bit lacklustre this week," McGinley said. "He caught fire on day two but days one and three, not great. We saw some mistakes and we didn't really see the intensity we expect from him. But he's normally good when he's coming from a position like this [three back] - he likes charging through the field but as with all players, particularly him, getting off to a good start and getting a little bit of confidence, he really rides momentum as good or better than anyone else."

There was zero intensity from McIlroy on Sunday as three dropped shots in his first five holes scotched his hopes of closing a three-shot gap on the overnight leader, and he eventually lurched to the turn in six-over 41 before rallying to shoot a four-over 74 that left him nine strokes outside a playoff for the title. He took six at the par-five first — the easiest hole on the course — where his 242-yard approach sailed well right, then caromed off trees even further into trouble.

Poor irons shots led to further bogeys at the fourth and fifth and with the tournament lost, he double-bogeyed the seventh and bogeyed the ninth to be out in 41.

"He seems to have lost the head today," Nick Faldo said in commentary as he surveyed the wreckage of McIlroy's opening nine. "Look at that. He needs a second pencil for the back nine."

"Or an eraser for the front," suggested Ian Baker-Finch.

"That's not allowed...." "Amazing Nick, the way he was playing?"

"I don't know. I am only guessing, but he's such a gutsy player, why does this happen? When it all goes wrong it's almost like he gets so frustrated, it's like, I can't accept it. Looking from the outside, it looks like he doesn't have a plan B to switch to, just to find a way to get around. Just too much frustration going on."

That he was consistently outdriven by DeChambeau, who would bogey the 17th and shoot 66 to miss out on a playoff between eventual champion Daniel Berger and young star Collin Morikawa, could not have helped. Considering how resilient McIlroy had been in the weeks before the lockdown, it was a surprise to see him wave the white flag so early, even if he did rally with two birdies in his last three holes.

"I got off to a really bad start," McIlroy said. "Hit a loose second shot on the first hole up to the right and then sort of messed around and took bogey there, so not the ideal start. And then the wind was up today. You didn't have to be that much off for it to sort of show, and missed a couple of greens in the wrong spots and made bogeys.

"Yeah, I just got off to a bad start. But you know, sort of played all the way to the end, shot a decent back nine. I was a couple under on the back. But front nine I just got into a rut and played a bad run of holes, and obviously, that put me out of the tournament."

Like Graeme McDowell and Shane Lowry, who missed the cut in Texas, he will have a chance to make amends for his share of 32nd when he makes his debut at Hilton Head in this week's RBC Heritage at Harbour Town Golf Links.