Rory McIlroy addresses injury after ‘issue’ at Players Championship | Golf | Sport
Rory McIlroy has addressed the difficulties he faced during his second round at the Players Championship, as the defending Masters champion narrowly secured his place for the weekend. McIlroy recorded a one-under par round of 71 to bring his total to one-over par at the midway stage of the competition at TPC Sawgrass.
Ludvig Aberg presently sits at the top of the leaderboard following the first two rounds, with his impressive nine-under-par, round of 63 lifting his total to 12-under, two strokes ahead of second placed Xander Schauffele. McIlroy trails the leader by 13 shots and finds himself amongst a group of 11 players, including World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, sharing 51st position on the leaderboard, having just made it to the weekend.
The 36-year-old defending champion recorded a birdie on the final hole of his second round to reach one-over par overall. Two over par would have been sufficient to progress to the weekend, while those finishing three over or beyond saw their challenge end early.
McIlroy entered the competition having pulled out before the start of the third round at the Arnold Palmer Invitational last week owing to a back issue, but has recovered sufficiently to participate in the Players Championship in Florida.
The grand slam champion was back in action at TPC Sawgrass for this week’s event, but has acknowledged the problems he experienced on the greens. “I felt a little bit better,” McIlroy told Sky Sports. “I would say if anything it was just I was struggling to trust everything was OK yesterday.
“I struggled a little bit on lies that were beneath my feet and stuff like that, but today I felt pretty good and felt like I hit the ball well. I really just couldn’t get a putt to drop. That was the issue.
“I tried my best, I grinded and made a good birdie at the last, hopefully to make the cut. Game feels good, I just went five or six days without really touching a club or doing anything so just getting my feels back a little.
“Hopefully another couple of days to get myself up the leaderboard. I’m 11 back at the minute, I’m not sure I’m going to contend for the title, but hopefully two good days and have a respectable finish.”
McIlroy is due to tee off at 9.55 ET (2.55pm UK time) for his third round in Florida, where he will be partnered with Joe Highsmith as he seeks to produce a improved showing over the closing rounds.
