PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – After a long and uncomfortable session, Rory McIlroy officially set himself a “game-time decision” for the Players Championship.
“So yeah, maybe a game-time decision,” the career Grand Slam winner said during a brief press availability Wednesday afternoon. “But all indications are pointing in the right direction, so hopefully a good night tonight. The drugs are working wonders, and then you just go from there.”
McIlroy has been absent from the typical start-of-the-week proceedings at The Players Championship as he deals with back spasms after tweaking something during a warm-up session Saturday at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. SPASMS forced McIlroy to withdraw from the event before his third round on Saturday afternoon, casting sudden doubt over his availability at The Players, where he was scheduled to return as the defending champion.
On Wednesday, he arrived at TPC Sawgrass for the first time after making the quick trip from Palm Beach, where he had been rehabbing with his physical therapist. After arriving on the course, he engaged in a long range session, hitting from his wedges to his six iron while pausing briefly for putts and other back stretches.
“I hit up to 6-iron on the range and I felt OK,” he said, warning that he was still taking the injury “hour by hour”.
McIlroy, 36, has faced an impressively clean bill of health throughout his playing career to this point. He said on Wednesday that he has dealt with a similar back injury only once before in his career, at the 2023 Tour Championship.
“I had that in the 2023 Tour Championship, and I remember Thursday I was so embarrassed and I went through the round, and I remember Sunday I felt like a whole new person,” McIlroy said. “So I’m hoping it will start to progress that way.”
The Masters champion said he is not worried about aggravating the injury further by competing this week, although the injury is still causing him some concern.
“The sensitivity — it’s not even on the back,” he said. “It’s more just the muscles around it. The glutes and the hip flexors — and it’s just a little tight and a little angry.”
Until now, McIlroy is scheduled to meet at 13:42 local time Thursday afternoon at the Players Championship.
“Is it 20 hours until I leave – or do I have to – tomorrow?” McIlroy said. “So yeah, we’ll see. I’m taking it hour by hour. But I feel better. That’s all I can say. I couldn’t wait to hit the ball Saturday morning on the range at Bay Hill, and it’s definitely better than that.”
