Rory McIlroy Gives Health Update on Eve of Players Championship

The defending champion arrived at TPC Sawgrass on Wednesday afternoon and said he’d be a “game-time decision” for his Thursday afternoon tee time.

Rory McIlroy played two rounds at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, making the cut then withdrawing with back pain. | Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — Rory McIlroy said it will be a “game-time decision” Thursday as to whether or not he will begin play at the Players Championship, where he is the defending champion.

McIlroy, who withdrew from the Arnold Palmer Invitational on Saturday prior to the third round after experiencing back issues, didn’t arrive at TPC Sawgrass on Wednesday afternoon.

He hit balls for less than an hour and never got beyond a 6-iron in his bag before speaking briefly to the media. He was then headed out to walk the back nine to chip and putt.

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

“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 is scheduled to tee off at 1:42 p.m. ET with Xander Schauffele and Hideki Matsuyama.

He said that he felt an issue in his lower back and torso area while in the gym Saturday morning and withdrew as a precaution. He headed home to South Florida and elected to stay there until Wednesday.

“I’d like to think that the sensitivity will go down as time goes on,” he said. “Like I had this at the Tour Championship in 2023, and I remember like Thursday I was in so much discomfort and, like, chipping it around and got through the round, and I remember on Sunday I felt like a whole new person. So I’m hoping that it starts to progress like that.

“But yeah, the sensitivity, it’s not, again, it’s not even in the back. It’s more just the muscles around, like the glutes and the hip flexors and like that’s just all a little—yeah, just a little tight and a little angry.”

McIlroy said he didn’t believe he could make the injury worse by playing.

“It’s purely muscular sort of discomfort and fatigue,” he said. “So there’s nothing I can—I don’t think, and what I’ve been told, obviously I’ll listen to the professionals. But there’s nothing that I can do that’s going to harm that.”