The Injury: After suffering a rupture to an ankle ligament during a game of soccer, we will not see the world’s #1 tee off at St. Andrews in the Open Championship next week. McIlroy has stated that it was a total rupture of his AFTL, but optimistically wrote that he is “continuing to assess the extent of the injury and treatment plan day by day” and that “the rehab has already started”. But, the way things are looking, especially with the amount of pressure that McIlroy exerts on his ankle during the transition of his swing, taking a break was the right thing to do.
The Implications: While the chances of McIlroy winning his third major in five attempts are gone, perhaps the biggest loss in McIlroy’s untimely injury is the open door that he leaves Jordan Spieth to rise to the top of the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time in his career. With McIlroy not in the field for the John Deere Classic this upcoming week and held out of the Open Championship, the 106 points that Spieth needs are certainly in reach. These 106 points correlate to a top-7 finish at the John Deere as well as a third major victory at St. Andrews for Spieth, which may seem to be a long shot; but, with the way Spieth has been playing, I would not be surprised to see him reach the top.
My Take: Based on the severity of the injury, I would expect McIlroy to continue to rehab in the hopes of returning in the best shape that he can be in for the PGA Championship August 13th-16th. While this extended rest and rehabilitation may mean the loss of his tenure at the top of the Official World Golf Rankings, it will pay off in the long run. The best thing golf fans can wish for right now is a speedy recovery for Rory, and hope that McIlroy is at the top of his game to compete with Spieth in the FedEx Cup Playoffs.
Sources
Official World Golf Rankings
Instagram (@rorymcilroy)
USA Today
Golf channel.com