Rory McIlroy delays arrival of players due to ‘stubborn’ back problem

Last year, Rory McIlroy was caught his second Players Championship title. A month later, he won the Masters to complete the career Grand Slam. But now McIlroy’s chances for a repeat of the Players-Masters may be in doubt.

The reason? A new back problem. That physical problem forced a rare mid-tournament WD from McIlroy last week at Bay Hill. Now he could be threatening his hopes of a third Players Championship victory.

Golf Channel’s Todd Lewis He broke the news on Monday, sharing a text from McIlroy live on stream that revealed it five-time major winner The back injury may be a bigger problem than his team previously thought.

Rory McIlroy’s players in doubt? “I hope to travel to Ponte Vedra on Wednesday at some point”

One significant difference between the careers of Grand Slam winners Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods has to do with injuries. Tiger’s historic run has been repeatedly hampered by injuries. McIlroy, on the other hand, has remained relatively unscathed.

That’s why when McIlroy abruptly withdrew from the Arnold Palmer Invitational last week citing a back injury, it came as a shock. But it also led many McIlroy fans to hope that Rory WD wasn’t being overly cautious and that he hadn’t badly hurt his back.

But on Monday, McIlroy gave the first clues that may not be the case.

During a Monday edition of Golf Channel’s “Live From the Players Championship,” Lewis shared the text he received that day by McIlroy.

In the text, as reported by Lewis, McIlroy revealed that his back problem was more “stubborn than we thought”. As a result, McIlroy said he would delay his arrival at TPC Sawgrass for the Players Championship by two days.

Lewis read aloud McIlroy’s full text on the Golf Channel.

“The back is a little more stubborn than we thought, so I’m going to stay home today and tomorrow to continue treatment in South Florida with the hope of traveling to Ponte Vedra on Wednesday at some point,” Lewis said in McIlroy’s text.

Several parts of McIlroy’s text raise alarm bells, and Lewis paid particular attention to each when reading Rory’s message.

First, McIlroy said he would stay home Monday and Tuesday to “continue treatment” for his back. He also did not fully commit to making it to the Players on Wednesday, but was instead undergoing treatment “in the hope” of making it through TPC Sawgrass until Wednesday.

He further muddied the waters by saying his arrival would happen “at some point” on Wednesday.

That last point is notable, if only because McIlroy is scheduled for a pre-tournament press conference at 7:45 a.m. ET Wednesday morning.

Maybe he’s just planting the idea that he won’t get to the players in time for his early pressing on Wednesday. Or maybe he won’t make it to the Players this week at all.