Rory McIlroy confessed Dr Bob Rotella has been key to his revival this year and his quest to end his major drought and win back the world number one ranking.

The world number two was speaking ahead of the DS Automobiles Italian Open in Rome, where he admitted the "grim" presence of LIV Golf rebels at the top of the BMW PGA Championship leaderboard propelled him to a runner-up finish behind Shane Lowry on Sunday.

"I believe when I play the golf that I'm capable of that I'm the best player in the world, and I think a lot of people in my position at the top of the game believe that also," McIlroy said at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club, where he will get his only look at the course before next year's Ryder Cup.

"I definitely feel like Bob Rotella has helped me unlock a couple of things within my game that were maybe lacking for the last couple of years."

He said mental coach Rotella has brought "a relaxed focus" to his game and while he's been focussed on battling LIV Golf outside the ropes, he admitted the presence of Patrick Reed and Talor Gooch on the Wentworth leaderboard got him riled up.

"The leaderboard at Wentworth last week at about 2 pm on Sunday was looking pretty grim if you were in a position that I hold," McIlroy said. "That probably gave me some extra motivation and a few other guys on the leaderboard to get past that 14 under mark."

As for the Ryder Cup, he believes Europe needs fresh blood to join six or seven core players and there's no place for the LIV Golf veterans.

"I have said it once, I've said it a hundred times; I don't think any of those guys should be on the Ryder Cup team," said McIlroy, adding it was time to "blood some of the newer guys."

While Lowry is taking the week off, the exempt McIlroy and Jonathan Caldwell are joined in Rome by Niall Kearney (173rd in the Race to Dubai), Paul Dunne (222nd) and Cormac Sharvin (235th), who need to finish in the top 120 to keep their cards.

There are 20 cards on offer via the Challenge Tour, and 13th-ranked Tom McKibbin continues his quest in the Open de Portugal at Royal Óbidos with  John Murphy (28th), Ruaidhri McGee (40th), Conor Purcell (74th), Gary Hurley (146th) and Gavin Moynihan (258th).

Leona Maguire is in Oregon for the AmazingCre Portland Classic while in the US Mid-Amateur at Erin Hills in Wisconsin, Royal Dublin’s Hugh Foley and Malone’s Matt McClean made today’s last 16 and took a step closer to winning the Masters invitation awarded to the winner.

Foley beat Alex Turner 3&1 and Sam Jackson 3&2 as McClean defeated Christopher Anderson 6&4 and Casey Carnes 3&2.

Foley faces Ryan Gutowski for a place in the quarter finals as McClean takes on Brad Nurski. 

At the First Stage of the DP World Tour Q-School at Arlandastad in Sweden, Royal Dublin amateur Richard Knightly and Clontarf professional Gary McGrane shot level par 70s to share 33rd on four-over at halfway, just outside the qualifying places.

In the First Stage at Golfresort Haugschlag in Austria, amateur Stephen Grant is tied seventh after opening with a three-under 69 with Tramore’s Robin Dawson tied 28th on level par.