McIlroy set for late arrival at The Players after ‘stubborn’ back injury

Rory McIlroy is expected to be fit to feature in his title defence at The Players but looks set to head into the tournament without a practice round at TPC Sawgrass.

McIlroy withdrew from the Arnold Palmer Invitational ahead of his third round on Saturday, having felt “a small twinge” in his lower back during his warm-up before experiencing “muscle spasms” on the range.

The world No 2 delayed his travel to the PGA Tour’s flagship event as he continued to deal with the issue, with McIlroy understood to have received treatment during Monday and Tuesday of tournament week.

McIlroy’s pre-tournament press conference – originally set for 7.45am local time (11.45am UK time) on Wednesday morning – was rescheduled, with The Masters champion now planning to travel to Ponte Vedra later that day ahead of the event starting on Thursday.

Caddie Harry Diamond has been seen walking TPC Sawgrass over the first two practice days ahead of McIlroy’s arrival, with Golf Channel reporting that the five-time major winner will be on-site from Wednesday after seeing progress in his injury.

Golf Channel’s Todd Lewis said: “This is a muscular issue [for McIlroy]. It is not a structural or skeletal issue, but he has been resting and receiving treatment since pulling out of the Arnold Palmer Invitational on Saturday.

“He told me yesterday (Monday) that this tweak of his lower back has been more stubborn than anticipated, so he’s decided to stay home today. However, he has gotten better each and every day.

“The plan for him is to have treatment at home in South Florida, then after that treatment tomorrow morning, he’s going to travel to the grounds here and start his preps for The Players.

“His intention is to participate in The Players for 2026, as the defending champion. It’s likely that McIlroy will come out tomorrow and just hit balls on the player practice area, not play a nine or 18-hole practice round.

“So when he tees it up on Thursday, if everything goes as planned and his back is co-operating, he will see this golf course for the very first time.”

The five-time major winner is scheduled to tee-off at 1.42pm local time (5.42pm UK time) on Thursday, as part of Featured Group coverage alongside two-time major winner Xander Schauffele and 2021 Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama.

He is looking to join Scottie Scheffler as the only player to defend the title at The Players, while a victory would see McIlroy join Jack Nicklaus as the only three-time winner in the tournament’s history.

McIlroy defeated JJ Spaun in a play-off to win last year’s edition in a Monday finish, six years to the day after he lifted the trophy in 2019. The Northern Irishman went on to complete the career Grand Slam a month later at The Masters.

When is The Players live on Sky Sports?

Sky Sports Golf will once again be the home of The Players, with over 40 hours of live golf across the four days and a host of extra live programming available during tournament week.

‘Live from The Players’ brings you the latest news from TPC Sawgrass from 1pm on Tuesday and 11.30am on Wednesday, ahead of live tournament coverage starting on Thursday.

Featured Groups will be available on Sky Sports+ throughout the week, along with Featured Holes, with bonus feeds to enjoy on top of the feeds available each week during PGA Tour coverage.

Coverage begins at 11.30am on Thursday and Friday before starting at 1pm over the weekend, with highlights and additional shows on Sky Sports Golf. Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract.

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Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: skynews.com