Rory McIlroy suffered a back injury at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, forcing him to withdraw from Bay Hill.
McIlroy’s back issues have clearly affected his performance at The Players Championship this week, and he was tied for 57th with one round to play at TPC Sawgrass.
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The 36-year-old from Northern Ireland was definitely not at his best this week at Ponte Vedra Beach and everything looked like a real struggle for him.
McIlroy has never started in the first round of The Players Championship and has been unable to consistently make pars and birdies in his three days at TPC Sawgrass so far.
Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images
After the first round, McIlroy admitted he felt “incredibly rusty” heading into The Players Championship.
That’s not surprising considering he didn’t show up to Sawgrass until the day before the game.
Rory McIlroy responds to ‘ridiculous’ suggestions about his back injury
The five-time major champion did not participate in a practice round and was hitting a 6-iron on the range Wednesday.
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Although he said his back feels good, he clearly wasn’t at his best this week in Ponte Vedra Beach.
McIlroy isn’t the only one to be troubled by back injuries of late.
Collin Morikawa was forced to withdraw from The Players Championship after playing just one hole in the first round, while Sahith Theegala, Billy Horschel and Justin Thomas have all suffered recent back issues.
Some believe it’s no coincidence that the players who regularly compete in TGL games are those with back injuries.
Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
McIlroy was asked in an interview with the Palm Beach Post about the potential for player injuries caused by TGL.
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“For the guys, it’s a little bit more traveling, a little bit more,“ McIlroy said.
“To base it solely on this is absurd. No.
“My ball speed is much faster on tour than in TGL.“
Rory McIlroy latest back injury update
McIlroy chose not to speak to reporters after his third round at TPC Sawgrass on Saturday morning.
So the latest news we have from people in Northern Ireland is on Friday.
“No, because I’m more upright with drivers with long things,“ he said.
“When I got over it, it was so much more. So yesterday when the ball was chipped or when the ball was at my feet, I – not that I felt it, but more like – it didn’t matter.
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“Like I have a hard time believing it, harder than anything else.
“But today, you know, I think one day I’ll be like, okay, that’s good, I didn’t really feel anything, I woke up this morning feeling good, so, yeah.“
When he completes the final round of The Players Championship on Sunday, McIlroy’s focus will turn to rest and making sure his back is fully back on track with the Masters less than four weeks away.