Horschel then won the tournament for the second time in four years with an eagle at the par-five 18th.

“If someone had of said you’re going to turn up at Wentworth this week and shoot 20 under par, I’d take that – all I can do is keep showing up and trying to play the golf that I’ve been playing and sooner or later it’s going to end up in a win,” added McIlroy.

“And today I played the play-off holes perfectly, really, a couple of birdies. But it just shows the standard out here. If you slip up just a little bit or don’t make a birdie on a crucial hole, someone is always waiting to take advantage of that.”

McIlroy’s focus is firmly on the future as he takes an optimistic approach after a series of disappointments.

“It could have been a different year but the nice thing is there’s next year and the year after and the year after and the year after.

“If you think of my career as a 30-year journey, it’s only one year in a 30-year journey, and hopefully the other 29 are a little more productive or a little bit better.”