Rory McIlroy was forced to withdraw from the Arnold Palmer Invitational ahead of the third round at Bay Hill on Saturday.
The 36-year-old Northern Irishman was well placed after two rounds of the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
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He posted scores of 72 and 68 at Bay Hill and was primed to make a charge over the weekend.
However, he never got the chance to make a charge over the final two rounds after he injured his back during his pre-round workout in the gym.
The good news is that McIlroy is in the field for The Players Championship this week.
Bad backs are notoriously difficult to manage for golfers at the very highest level due to the fact that the golf swing has evolved into such an explosive movement.
Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
The five-time major champion clearly didn’t feel comfortable at all ahead of his third round at the Arnold Palmer Invitational last week.
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His withdrawal from the tournament at Bay Hill was undoubtedly a sensible decision. However, will he be in tip-top condition for The Players Championship?
What Rory McIlroy’s camp are saying about his back injury
Golf fans will be desperate to see the man from Holywood, Northern Ireland, return to TPC Sawgrass this week to defend the title he won last year.
Golf journalists Rex Hoggard and Ryan Lavner have been discussing McIlroy’s withdrawal from the Arnold Palmer Invitational on Saturday.
When speaking on The Golf Channel Podcast with Rex and Lav, Hoggard responded when asked by Lavner if he knows anything about the severity of McIlroy’s back injury.
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“Yeah, I think he was tied for ninth when he withdrew after two rounds,“ Hoggard said.
“So it’s not as though he was playing poorly, and it’s a golf course where he’s had success before.
“He’s talked a lot about his affinity for Arnold Palmer, and it took a long time for him to decide to play there in his career, but once he did, he sort of made this commitment to always be there for Arnold’s legacy.
“Yeah, I mean, Todd Todd Lewis did some really good reporting on this one.
“I really think that this just boils down to, there was a tweak in his back. He didn’t like the way it felt, by all accounts.
Photo by Tracy Wilcox/PGA TOUR via Getty Images
“I spoke with someone inside his camp. He tried to warm up, and it just kind of became more and more uncomfortable as it went on.
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“My guess is if it wasn’t the week before, the fifth major, the Players Championship, he probably would have kept playing, but he doesn’t want to jeopardize anything.
“He knows how big next week is. So my level of concern would be pretty low.
“I don’t know if you want me to put a number on it, since you’re pestering me on answers these days, but it’s not very high.“
What happened when Rory McIlroy injured his back in 2023
The last time McIlroy endured back problems was just ahead of the Tour Championship in 2023.
However, he chose to play through the pain at East Lake and ended up finishing in a tie for fourth.
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The Northern Irishman then went on to play a leading role for Luke Donald’s European team in the Ryder Cup at Marco Simone.
That should be hugely encouraging for McIlroy fans.
It proves that he is able to bounce back quickly from any trouble he has experienced with his back.
That’s not to say that he shouldn’t be careful, though. Bad backs can be very tricky to deal with and Rory McIlroy should not compete at The Players Championship unless he is 100 per cent fit.
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