Rory McIlroy said he is so desperate to secure a win this season that he will look to defend the FedEx Cup despite not being fully fit.

The 28-year-old has endured a frustrating 2017 to date with a rib injury hampering his attempts to add to his four major titles.

Indeed, McIlroy was expected to sit out the rest of the campaign after finishing tied-22nd at the US PGA Championship earlier this month when he revealed the rib issue has prevented him from practising properly.

But the Northern Irishman has now confirmed that he will continue playing in a bid to finish the year with some silverware to boast.

Speaking at the Yankee Stadium in New York, where he was hitting golf balls with cancer survivor Mary Browder Howell as part of FedEx's $1million donation to the St Jude children's cancer charity in his name, McIlroy said: "Obviously, I played two weeks in a row and I hit balls every day so it was a heavy schedule. I've really tried to rest and it's felt better and manageable.

"I'm not at 100 per cent, but I'm at a per cent where I feel like I can still compete. I want to get a win before I shut it down for the season, so I’m excited for the next few weeks, but I'm excited for the next three months after that. Because more than likely I'll take some time off and regroup.

"When's the last time I've been able to take that much time off and focus on myself and my game. We don't get an off-season anymore, so to be able to get that time to afford myself, I'm really excited about that as well."