Rory McIlroy may miss the rest of 2017 due to injury

World number four Rory McIlroy is unsure what his immediate future holds, indicating he could miss the rest of 2017.

Published : Aug 14, 2017 01:17 IST

Rory McIlroy suggested he could miss the rest of the year to allow him to return to full fitness.

The world number four closed out the US PGA Championship with a three-under 68 in the final round at Quail Hollow on Sunday.

McIlroy, who was among the favourites to win at the Charlotte course, was never truly in contention at the year's final major.

Winless this year and having battled back and rib injuries, McIlroy suggested his 2017 could be over, but the Northern Irishman is unsure what his immediate future holds.

"I don't know what I'm going to do. You might not see me until next year," he said on Sunday. "You might see me in a couple of weeks' time. It really depends."

McIlroy said he felt his "left rhomboid [back] going into spasm" after his final round at the US PGA, where he finished at one over for the tournament.

The four-time major champion said he was still considering whether to play the FedEx Cup Play-offs, which begin later in August.

"I feel like I'm capable and playing well enough to give myself a chance in it," McIlroy said. "At the same time, April [the Masters] is a long way away. That's the next big thing on my radar."

McIlroy will now go three years without a major victory, and the 28-year-old – a win at Augusta shy of a career Grand Slam – said he was desperate to be contending again.

"It's tough. I want to get back into that winner's circle. You don't want to be teeing off at 09:45 on the final rounds of a major on a Sunday. That is not where you want to be," he said.

"As I said, I have a good bit of time to get healthy and address a few things going forward.

"The next big thing is April and that's really what my focus will be on from now until then."

Sign in to unlock all user benefits
  • Get notified on top games and events
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign up / manage to our newsletters with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early bird access to discounts & offers to our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment