PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) – As if the TPC Sawgrass isn’t enough of a challenge, Rory McIlroy is dealing with another dose of back pain at The Players Championship and will have it tested at the end of the week.
McIlroy already missed four tournaments over seven weeks earlier this year when he felt soreness in his back during the South African Open, where he lost in a playoff, and then was diagnosed with a hairline fracture of his rib.
After salvaging a 1-under 71 on Friday, he said the pain was in about the same spot. He plans to get an MRI on Monday when he gets to Northern Ireland.
“It’s in the same area as what the injury was at the start of the year,” McIlroy said. “If that injury was an 8 or a 9 in terms of pain and soreness and stiffness, this is around a 4 or 5. It might just be a flare-up of what happened previously and I just need to rest for a few days and it might be OK. Hopefully, that’s what it shows in the scan next week.”
In the meantime, he said the pain was manageable with rest and treatment. Sweltering heat doesn’t hurt, and the four-time major champion assured himself of two more rounds at the TPC Sawgrass after navigating the firm conditions and endless water hazards with two birdies in his round of 71.