Rory McIlroy will play the Horizon Irish Open and the BMW PGA Championship ahead of featuring for Team Europe at the Ryder Cup later this month; McIlroy injured his back ahead of the PGA Tour’s Tour Championship
Last Updated: 06/09/23 3:03pm
Rory McIlroy returns to DP World Tour action at the Horizon Irish Open
Rory McIlroy has admitted he is still yet to fully recover from his back injury but will be “totally fine” for back-to-back DP World Tour events ahead of the Ryder Cup.
McIlroy injured his lower back ahead of the Tour Championship, where he was chasing back-to-back FedExCup titles, with the four-time major champion unable to practice the day before the PGA Tour season finale and then seen in discomfort during the tournament.
The world No 2’s condition improved as the event progressed, with a final-round 65 seeing him finish in fourth spot and 13 strokes behind Viktor Hovland, with McIlroy unconcerned about his fitness ahead of featuring at the Horizon Irish Open this week.
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“No, not at all,” McIlroy said. “I’ve had much worse [injuries]. I had much worse back issues when I was 21, so this is fine. This is a bit of tightness, a bit of a muscle spasm.
“This is nothing compared to some I’ve had. I’ve had a herniated disc and I’ve had stuff that would be a lot more worrying than this is, and I’ve got really good people around me that know what to do. It’s fine. It’s totally fine. I maybe don’t heal quite as fast as I used to but it’s all good.
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“I would say it’s at 90 per cent, 95 per cent. It’s not a hundred per cent better. I just happened to take care of it a little bit but it’s not preventing me from doing anything I want to do. Just being a little mindful, I guess.”
McIlroy will also compete at the BMW PGA Championship next week before taking a week off ahead of making a seventh consecutive Ryder Cup appearance for Team Europe, where they will be looking to regain the trophy after a record-breaking defeat at Whistling Straits in 2021.
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The Northern Irishman currently tops the DP World Tour rankings after winning the Hero Dubai Desert Classic and Genesis Scottish Open, with McIlroy looking to extend his advantage as he chases the order of merit for a fifth time.
“It will be nice over these next couple of weeks and obviously the week leading into Rome to sort of feel like I’ve spent some time refining a few things in my game and working on some stuff,” McIlroy added. “I’m excited to spend the next few weeks over here and do that.
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“I’ve got a nice little cushion in The Race to Dubai [DP World Tour rankings] at the minute. Depending on what happens over these next two weeks, that will go a long way in where I am going into Dubai.
“These two weeks are important. I want to play well for a number of reasons. I want to feel like I’m confident and in good form going into the Ryder Cup obviously. But yeah, I think it would be a pretty cool achievement to win The Race to Dubai for a fifth time and start creeping up on Monty [Colin Montgomerie].
See McIlroy in action throughout the week at the Horizon Irish Open live on Sky Sports. Live coverage begins on Thursday from 1pm on Sky Sports Golf. Watch the Ryder Cup this month exclusively live Sky Sports. Live coverage of the opening day begins on Friday September 29 from 6am on Sky Sports Golf. Stream the PGA Tour, Ryder Cup and more with NOW.