Rory McIlroy is dealing with an injury after just one tournament in his new season. McIlroy, proclaimed as a favorite to win at least one major this year and dominate again, suffered a back injury in his 2017 debut in South Africa. We heard a mention of the trouble after Friday’s second round and now on Sunday after the conclusion of the BMW SA Open, which he lost in a playoff, McIlroy has stated that he’ll be having an MRI on the back before this week’s scheduled Abu Dhabi start.
Rory McIlroy will have MRI on his back after playing through pain in 2017 debut
A trendy prediction is that this will be the Year of Rory in golf, but just one event in and he’s now scheduled to have an MRI on his back.
McIlroy called the MRI “precautionary” on Sunday, telling the assembled press the purpose is “see what’s up with this joint in my back.” The cause for the sudden trouble is unknown and not pinpointed to one specific swing or move this week. Rory speculated that it may have been muscle fatigue from an offseason in which he thoroughly tested different equipment to prepare himself for his first season since Nike left the hard goods golf business.
The back pain was more than some minor trouble on Friday, as Rory said he contemplated withdrawing from the tournament before the round. He still went out and shot a 68 that included an eight-hole stretch that he played in 8-under. He almost won the entire damn tournament, losing in that playoff to Graeme Storm on Sunday.
This is obviously not the high point of the season and missing some time in January or February is much easier to swallow than, say, ripping up your ankle in the middle of the summer and not being able to defend your British Open title. So resting the back to ensure you’re in perfect condition by late March or early April would certainly be forgivable if that’s the route that Rory is advised to take.
Rory said he managed this week with “tape and a few pills,” but this upcoming swing through the Middle East, starting this week in Abu Dhabi, could require a different approach (via Golf Channel):
“We will see what happens. It’s not 100 percent. Part of me really wants to make next week because there is so much to play for, but at the same time there is so much to play for over the whole season and I don’t want to jeopardize long-term goals for short-term gain, but hopefully I’ll be good to go.”
Rory has held this season-opening stretch in the Middle East in high regard. The stop in Dubai was where he won his first event and has always been important to him. In fact, he had established a specific season-opening routine that begins with practice time in the Middle East before his debut at those Euro Tour events. Opening in South Africa this year was a deviation from that regimen and done as a favor to SA Open host and friend, Ernie Els.
For a player who stands at the top of a year overflowing with hype and anticipation, here’s hoping Monday’s MRI reveals nothing serious.
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