RORY MCILROY LOOKED at his ball, resting against a tree root, and decided to take a whack at it.
Bad move.
The US Open champion injured his right wrist with the ill-advised swing last night in the opening round of the PGA Championship.
McIlroy played on after his mishap at the third hole, but in obvious pain. He had the wrist checked out by a physical therapist and felt it wouldn’t get any worse. He also had the wrist taped up, looking more like a football player than a golfer.
“It was just like a sharp pain up the forearm, and then there’s a little bit of swelling, just on the inside of my wrist,” said the 22-year-old. “And then it was going up into my elbow and my shoulder.”
It hurt every time he struck the ball, but he gutted out 15 more holes for an even-par 70 that left him seven strokes behind leader Steve Stricker.
McIlroy hustled off to get an MRI, which showed he had a strained tendon in his wrist, according to a statement put out by his handlers at International Sports Management.
“He will obviously rest it tonight,” the statement said, “and see how it feels in the morning on the range.”
McIlroy intends to play on unless he absolutely can’t.
“It’s a very important tournament, and I’m still even par,” he said. “I’m still in the hunt.”
Considering the circumstances, McIlroy couldn’t have asked for much more — other than having back a couple of short missed putts that kept him from breaking into the red.
“To be honest, considering I finished with one hand, I hit some good shots,” McIlroy said. “It was always there in my mind. So to shoot even par, it was a good effort.”
After tapping out for par at the 18th hole, McIlroy used his left hand to congratulate others in his group with a backhanded handshake, his right arm dangling by his side.
He signed his scorecard, met briefly with the media and headed off for the MRI and treatment. He had every intention of returning Friday.
"It's the last major of the year," he said. "I've got, what, six or seven months to the Masters. So I might as well try and play through the pain and get it over and done with."
McIlroy got into trouble when he drove it among the trees left of the third fairway, the ball stopping against a large, thick root sticking above the ground, about 2 inches wide. Instead of just punching back into the clearing, McIlroy chose to go aggressively at the flag with a 7-iron.
As soon as he struck the ball, he let the club fall out of his hands. Not soon enough. He began to shake his arm and flex the wrist. Within minutes, he asked for an ice compress, which he held on his wrist between shots.
In hindsight, not a good decision — especially since he failed to escape the trees with his risky shot and wound up taking bogey anyway.
"It was dangerous," McIlroy conceded. "I think the tree was maybe a foot in front of the ball, and thought if I could make contact with the ball and just let the club go, I might get away with it. ... It would have been better to chip out sideways. I still made 5."
At the par-3 fourth, McIlroy again dropped the club after striking his tee shot. He still managed to get on the green and two-putt for par. Then, at the fifth, PGA Tour therapist Jeff Hendra came out on the course to examine the wrist, causing a brief delay for McIlroy's threesome.
"There's a couple of points where I thought about not continuing," McIlroy said.
Hendra bent the wrist back sharply several times, trying to determine if McIlroy had caused any serious damage. The player was satisfied with what he heard and rejoined his group: British Open champion Darren Clarke and Masters winner Charl Schwartzel.
"It's just going through impact, it hurts a little bit," McIlroy said.
With Tiger Woods battling injuries, personal woes and an erratic game, McIlroy has emerged as potentially the game's next big star. He contended at three majors before breaking through in a big way at the US Open, carving up Congressional with a record 16-under score and blowing away the field by eight strokes.
He seems determined to take a shot at his second major championship before the year is done — sore wrist and all.
"If it's the same [today] and I know that I'm not going to do anymore damage to it, I'll play," McIlroy vowed.
meath have never been the same since that pushover try against the wee county!
Face hits the desk.
Meath football is at it’s lowest point in decades. The bottom line is the players aren’t good enough – Sam won’t be visiting the Royal county for many many years.
Karma is a bitch Meath!!
karma for wat???
You know exactly what for, Mark! :P
oh yeah soz! do you mean when the referee wrongly awarded meath a goal in the leinster final when joe sheridan fell across the line (not threw the ball across the line) to deny louth a leinster title? and therefore giving the meath players a victory and medals that they are ashamed to show? hmm so maybe the karma could be for something else….
Ridiculous politics In the Neath camp. Should never have fired eamonn o Brien
I heard him and his management team were on 100k a year
Incorrect, if you read the media at the time of his appointment the entire management team were on expenses of €11,000, this actually came in less in 2011 by the verified accounts do you “heard” wrong.
It’s true he was on 100k, don’t mind what the media prints, do you believe everything you read in the paper?
No but I refer to what was correctly reported in the paper, I gain my information from Meath County Board documents and the allowances being agreed at County Board meetings, Meath cant afford to fully renovate Pairc Tailteann never mind pay a manager 100’000.
Give him another 100 large and a ten year contract.
Hes doing a fine job.
The Meath players will issue a statement in support of the manager and his team.
these are the same Meath players who issued a statement that the result had to stand against Louth.
And these are the same Meath players who wouldnt beat a good minor team.
The measure of the Men.
The Meath players did not issue a statement saying the result in 2010 had to stand, in fact no one from Meath issued such a statement, the statement from the County Committee outlined that a replay would not be volunteered as precedent had not been set in a provincial final before but it encouraged Croke Park to legislate for such occurrences and take action. It was not Meath’s mess to clean up and they would have got no thanks long term if they attempted it. Croke Park kicked the problem up the N3 as they had no way of dealing with it despite the fact that it was their appointed officials who made the balls up, the mistake Meath made was delaying in kicking the problem back to Croke Park and as a result having the media parked outside Navan for 48 hours second guessing what was going on and adding fuel to an already flaming fire. There was no necessity for Meath to make any statement and in my opinion they never should, Croke Park still have not legislated for something like it happening again despite motions from Meath to allow for rulings in such situations to be made by a referral committee
@Richie, Have to agree with you Richie. I’m a Louth supporter, I was in the Canal end when Joe and the ball ended up in the net. The blame has to rest with the officals and thats where it should be left. No right thinking person would blame players of any County who train hard, put their all into it, They deserve respect for this. All that said I was sickened by the nonsense (gloating and blowing) from SOME Meath supporters and it is because of them that I’m still smiling since Sunday :)
Agreed John, sadly all counties have their muppets Meath included, sadly some people dont get out very often :-)
I have no problem with Louth managing to beating a useless Meath team in a piss-ass League Game. If that is the be-all and end-all of their ambitions and achievements, it is a sad state of affairs for Louth football.
A team of ould nuns would have beaten Meath – and all of them in their full black hoods, skirts and heavy knickers!
If Louth celebrate and blow s**t in such a hysterical manner over winning a non-game against a dysfunctional Meath team- God and the Saints preserve us if they ever (ever) again win an All-Ireland. We will need the army to contain them!
And sure, they managed to beat someone the day that Meath beat them in the Leinster Final – the poor referee- typical of the attitude- attack the vulnerable – the easy target, and not a word about their abysmal failure to take the many scores they missed through stage-fright. They should have had that Leinster Final won well before that great goal.
The only good thing about the latest result is that now Louth fans can get over their childish spite and grow up. You could look on the win as a present from Meath just to ease the Louth tears and to restore their inflated self-belief. That;s the last present you get, though.
Prepare for another hammering from Meath when and if the teams meet again in a real game that matters- as has happened so often before.
Louth have some top quality footballers and sportsmen; none of them commented here so far, only the orange-carriers and water-boys; and maybe a referee-basher or two?
@Gundy, reading all the bitterness you are spewing, your going to have to forgive me when I say I don’t believe your opening sentence.
Gundy a “none game”……………….. A none game that has Meath in division 3 next year, you should read your own comment, then take your own advice and Grow Up, That said you probably are 12 ?????
Meath are a proud country with great teams over the years. This is just a bad phase like we went through in Cork many a time.
‘for what?’ says he!! Lol!!
I suppose it’l be a championship piss ass game come the summer when wicklow or whoever beat ye,is there a nicky rackard cup equivalent competition for meath to enter?? A disgraceful gaa county that will never again deliver
And why are Meath a disgraceful county??
Ok certain players were a disgrace to meath over the years,no respect for management
So now it’s certain players as opposed to the whole county, I am a proud, honest and realistic Meath man so if you going to tar the county or some of its players then identify your reasons why??