However, on Monday morning he used his Instagram account to reveal he had damaged his left ankle during a game of football with friends.
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McIlroy’s own message indicated that he remains hopeful of being able to defend his Open title.
The full extent of the problem is not yet known.
He is now in Northern Ireland and being assessed by his medical team, which includes experienced physio and sports scientist Dr Stephen McGregor. “Rehab already started… working hard to get back as soon as I can”, he said, alongside a photograph showing him standing on crutches with his left ankle in a heavy surgical boot.
It is unclear how long Rory McIlroy will be sidelined by the injury, but these types of injuries can take weeks or even months to heal fully. The left ankle is crucial in a golf swing as weight shifts to that side while generating power.
“If it is on the severe end of the spectrum it is highly unlikely he would be playing next week”. It depends how much pain he can tolerate.
Now Spieth’s odds to make a run at winning a third major in the same calendar year seem to have improved dramatically with the announcement of McIlroy’s injury.
While Jordan Spieth, with wins at the Masters and United States Open, has dominated the game this year, McIlroy has had mixed results in 2015, finishing fourth at the Masters and tied for ninth at the United States Open.
“Very unfortunate about Rory’s injury”, tournament president Duke Butler said in a text message Monday.
He was due to play in the Scottish Open this week as part of his preparations for the Open. Golf is exciting with Rory and Jordan.
What’s more, if you believe the experts, it is at least possible to think McIlroy can be somewhere close to pain-free by next Thursday.
The world No. 1 is nearly certainly out of The Open, which starts in nine days’ time, and is also a doubt for next month’s United States PGA Championship.
Paul McGinley, McIlroy’s captain at last year’s Ryder Cup, said he would be disappointed to see McIlroy miss out on The Open. If the ankle is very loose and badly swollen, I can’t imagine him walking around for miles for four rounds.
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McIlroy already has a strong connection with the Old Course at St. Andrews, where he secured his European Tour card in 2007 as an 18-year-old at the Dunhill Links with a third-place finish.
