McIlroy, waiting: Will the champion play in the Players Championship?

McIlroy in Doubt for the Players Championship: “The Indications Point in the Right Direction”

The current champion, Rory McIlroy, has expressed uncertainty about his participation in the Players Championship due to back problems. However, the golfer has indicated that “all signs point in the right direction” for him to be able to compete on Thursday. “I have, I don’t know, about 20 hours before going out on the course. So, yes, we’ll see. I’m taking it hour by hour,” McIlroy commented, who is scheduled to tee off at 1:42 p.m. ET. “I hope tonight is good. The medication is working wonders, and I’ll keep going.” McIlroy, who withdrew from the third round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational on Saturday due to back spasms, didn’t show up at TPC Sawgrass until Wednesday afternoon. He spent about an hour hitting shots intermittently in a back corner of the practice range, while his caddie, agent, and athletic trainer watched closely. The winner of five majors only managed to hit up to a 6-iron, he later said, and took breaks to stretch and walk. According to McIlroy, the injury was caused by excessive extension in the gym.

“It feels better. That’s all I can say,” McIlroy affirmed. “Saturday morning on the practice range at Bay Hill I couldn’t even stand to address the ball, and obviously it’s better than that.”

Rory McIlroy

McIlroy explained that, after withdrawing from the API, he traveled to visit his physiotherapist in West Palm Beach, Florida, and has been seeing him every day since then, which has helped improve his back. The reigning Masters champion said he feels no pain when hitting the ball. “I’d say it’s more like sensitivity,” McIlroy said. “I’d like to think the sensitivity will subside over time. I had this at the Tour Championship in 2023, and I remember on Thursday I was feeling a lot of discomfort and, like, I was playing short shots and managed to get through the round, and I remember on Sunday I felt like a completely new person. So I hope it starts to progress like that.” He added that it’s not the back that’s inflaming, but rather the muscles around the area and the hip flexors that are “a little tight and a little angry”.

McIlroy arrived at TPC Sawgrass on Wednesday afternoon, did some stretching, and was able to hit up to a 6-iron on the practice range. His status for the first round is to be determined, he said. A factor in McIlroy’s possible decision to play is that this is not a course he is learning for the first time. He has won twice at TPC Sawgrass and has finished in the top 25 seven times. Another factor is that the narrow fairways and difficult sightlines of the golf course often take the driver out of the hands of some of the longer hitters. McIlroy is in the top 10 in driving distance this season. “The good thing is you don’t really need a driver here much, especially with how firm it is,” McIlroy said. “But, yeah, obviously getting into the longer clubs is something I’ll have to try to do tomorrow.” After his abbreviated practice session on Wednesday, McIlroy walked the final nine holes with just a wedge and a putter, trying to feel the greens and the surrounding rough, as well as the difference in how it has been set up this year. “It seems like a pretty different setup this year than in previous years in March,” he said. “So I much prefer the short game and putting on the course than in the practice area, just to get a better idea of the shots you need.” McIlroy stated that experts have assured him that he cannot worsen or aggravate the injury. “It’s not structural, it’s not articulation, it’s fine. It’s purely discomfort and muscle fatigue,” he said. “Things are improving, but yes, I don’t think it’s something that if I play I run the risk of suffering any damage.”