Rory McIlroy Discusses Challenges Stemming from Back Injury at Tour Championship

Rory McIlroy discussed his immobility that came from a back injury the week of the Tour Championship while relaxing between this week’s event and last week’s BMW Championship.

McIlroy was spotted on the range on Thursday for the first time before his first round at East Lake, swinging with some discomfort and hesitation. It was then revealed that earlier this week, he woke up with a tight back. In an effort to loosen up, he hit the gym and attempted to free himself of any discomfort with stretches and dynamic exercise.

However, the strategy went awry, and McIlroy’s back locked up. His first round at the Tour Championship revealed he was definitely still dealing with the symptoms, as his follow-through was often with one arm, and his swing seemed to have slightly less pop than normal.

McIlroy said (via GolfWeek):

“I went to grab something, and my whole right side just completely seized up, spasm. So I spent two hours with the physio at home, flew up here, felt a little better, some treatment, then Wednesday morning still my right side was feeling better, and then went into the gym just to do some movements and stuff.”

Rory said the injury is affecting his ability to hit a cut, which is a shot that works from left to right for a right-handed golfer. It could be a reason for Rory’s inability to really get a solid round going so far this week.

Meanwhile, a notorious hitter of the cut, Collin Morikawa, performed exceptionally, shooting a 61 on Thursday and shared the lead with Viktor Hovland, who had a seven-stroke advantage starting the tournament thanks to the staggered stroke standings that the Tour Championship provides based on FedEx Cup Points Standings. Morikawa would finish T6.

Rory said:

“Yeah, I can’t hit the ball left-to-right and — yeah, I can’t swing my irons the way I want to. I can’t turn my right side through the ball. So from the top of the swing, I’m just sort of throwing my arms at it, and it’s a lot of face rotation, and I can only really hit it one way with the irons. I can’t hit the driver the way I usually do. Like, teeing it up, I’m teeing it down and just hitting a sort of flat little runner down there. So, yeah, look, a little limited to the shots that I can hit, but I’m getting by.”

🚨🤕⛳️#UPDATE — Rory McIlroy discussed his back injury post round: “Yeah, I can’t hit the ball left-to-right and — yeah, I can’t swing my irons the way I want to. I can’t turn my right side through the ball. So from the top of the swing I’m just sort of throwing my arms at it… pic.twitter.com/miO21slpM3

— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) August 25, 2023

Rory is looking to defend his Tour Championship last year, which slotted him $18 million in winnings after he beat Scottie Scheffler in what was one of the better Sundays at East Lake in recent memory.

Players and fans alike have criticized the Tour Championship’s starting format, and many are looking for improvements in the way the tournament is run, especially since it decides the winner of the PGA Tour’s biggest paycheck of the year.

McIlroy, however, hasn’t shared that sentiment.

He said:

“I do like it this way. I think it gives the guys that have had the better years an advantage going into the week, which I think they should have, and, if anything, like Scottie this year, you know, probably should have more of an advantage than the two-shot lead. But it makes it an exciting week.”

McIlroy finished 4th at the Tour Championship at -14.

Cover Image via Golf Channel