Known to connect with this fans and supporters through various social media outlets, including his decision not to defend his British Open crown, McIlroy could be gearing up for a return at the PGA Championships at Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wisconsin, beginning next week.
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His chances of returning for the final Major of the year, which begins at Whistling Straits next Thursday, have been gathering pace. He also retweeted the PGA starting time of McIlroy, Jordan Spieth and Zach Johnson.
McIlroy later re-tweeted the PGA of America’s tweet.
Spieth, 22, will try to join Ben Hogan (1953) and Tiger Woods (2000) as the only male golfers to win three professional majors in one calendar year.
Johnson led by a shot with a hole to play in 2010 but after a bogey on the 18th looked to have dropped him into the play-off, he was penalised two shots for grounding his club in a fairway bunker. On Friday, he shot a photo of the inside of a private plane, presumably indicating he is headed to the U.S. from Europe.
McIlroy has not played since June’s U.S. Open.
When withdrawing from his defence of the Claret Jug, McIlroy promised to listen to the experts and insisted that he would only “come back to tournament play when I feel 100 percent healthy and 100 per cent competitive”.
Determined by the average number of points gained per event, McIlroy now holds a 12.48 average compared to Spieth’s 11.41, a difference that could be made up depending on how Spieth performs at Whistling Straits.
Right in front of them will be a trio that will have plenty to talk about in the majors – Rickie Fowler, Jason Day and Dustin Johnson. Either way, No. 1 will be in play at Whistling Straits.
Ryder Cup captains Davis Love III and Darren Clarke are in the same group with Steve Stricker, who is likely to be a captain in the future.
Although Spieth won the first two majors, McIlroy finished in the top 10 in both, setting up a potential showdown at The Open that did not occur because of his injury.
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Traditionally, the winners of the season’s first three majors have always been drawn together. Alas, the Sutherland jinx ended.
