Rory McIlroy Pulls Out of British Open Due to Injury

Rory McIlroy made the wrong decision over the weekend to play soccer with his buddies.

“After much consideration I have decided not to play in the Open Championship at St. Andrews”, the Northern Irishman wrote on his Instagram account.

“You can’t live your life in fear or caution”.

While Justin Rose have never missed time due to an injury from jet skiing or basketball or anything, Phil Mickelson has – and his words come from experience. It can’t hurt. Woods is coming up on the two-year anniversary of his last win, and he’s had only one reasonable chance at winning on the PGA Tour since then.

GULLANE, Scotland Scotland’s Russell Knox said it is a “dream come true” to compete at St Andrews in his first Open Championship after he was included at the expense of injured world number one Rory McIlroy who withdrew on Wednesday.

“I obviously wish he was there”, Jordan Spieth, victor at this year’s Masters and the United States Open, told the Golf Channel.

Still to be determined is how long the ankle injury keeps McIlroy out of golf.

McIlroy is the first player not to defend his Open title since Ben Hogan in 1954, Hogan having won the Claret Jug at Carnoustie in 1953 in his only appearance in the event. It was around the hole where I got a hole-in-one in the Scottish Amateur here at Gullane back in 2004.

Scottish golfer Rory Knox will play in the Open championship next week, following the withdrawal of defending champion Rory McIlroy.

“We were all disappointed to hear his comments but it doesn’t take away from all that he’s done to try to help better golf”, said Mickelson.

Unusual note about the Old Course: the course is closed on Sundays to allow it to recover, and on a few Sundays, townspeople and visitors are allowed to stroll, picnic and enjoy the grounds (don’t bring your clubs or you’ll be asked to leave). Rory McIllroy (4-1) and Jordan Spieth (6-1) are already odds-on favorites to win at St. Andrews. He was just playing around and accidents happen.

McIlroy’s Ryder Cup teammate Graeme McDowell said the Holywood man will be “gutted” to be missing out on the title defence. I didn’t feel like anything he was doing was unnecessary risk.

‘I believe that playing the week before, playing competitively leading up to a major, is a good thing, ‘ said Fowler, whose victory in The Players Championship has given him renewed hope of finally landing a major crown himself. It remains to be seen whether McIlroy will be fit in time to defend his PGA Championship at Whistling Straits, Wisconsin next month and even whether he will be able to play again this season.

“I was thinking about it (the British Open). It just was an unfortunate situation and hopefully he rebounds quickly and gets back right to where he was”.