Rory McIlroy a ‘game-time decision’ for Players Championship with back injury

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — After a lengthy and uncomfortable-looking range session, Rory McIlroy officially designated himself a “game-time decision” for the Players Championship.

“So, yeah, probably a game-time decision,” the career Grand Slam winner said during a short press availability on Wednesday afternoon. “But all indications are pointing in the right direction, so hopefully good night tonight. The drugs are working wonders, and then just keep it going from there.”

McIlroy has been absent from the typical early-week proceedings at the Players Championship as he deals with back spasms after tweaking something during a warmup session on Saturday at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. The spasms forced McIlroy to withdraw from the event before his third round on Saturday afternoon, casting sudden doubt on 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 up from Palm Beach, where he had been rehabbing with his physiotherapist. After arriving at the course, he engaged in a lengthy range session, hitting from his wedges all the way up to his six-iron while pausing briefly for pushups and other back stretches.

“I hit up until 6-iron on the range and it felt okay,” he said, cautioning that he was still taking the injury “hour-by-hour.”

McIlroy, 36, has dealt with an impressively clean bill of health throughout his playing career to this point. He said Wednesday that he has only dealt with a similar back injury once before in his career, at the 2023 Tour Championship. 

“I had this at the Tour Championship in 2023, and I remember on Thursday I was in so much discomfort and chipping it around and got through the round, and I remember on Sunday I felt like a whole new person,” McIlroy said. “So I’m hoping that it starts to progress like that.”

The Masters champion said he is not worried about aggravating the injury further by competing this week, though the injury is still causing him some level of discomfort.

“The sensitivity — it’s not even in the back,” he said. “It’s more just the muscles around it. The glutes and the hip flexors — and that’s just a little tight and a little angry.”

As of now, McIlroy is scheduled to tee off at 1:42 p.m. local time on Thursday afternoon in the Players Championship.

“Is it 20 hours until I tee off — or I’m supposed to tee off — tomorrow?” McIlroy said. “So, yeah, we’ll see. I’m taking it sort of hour by hour. But it feels better. That’s all I can say. I couldn’t stand to address the ball on Saturday morning on the range at Bay Hill, and it’s obviously better than that.”