Injured McIlroy to miss Open

That ankle injury that Rory McIlroy suffered while playing soccer will indeed keep the golfer out of this year’s British Open.

Rory McIlroy announced his withdrawal from the Open Championship next week like no player has ever done before – and it got Jacksonville University graduate and Atlantic Beach resident Russell Knox a spot in his first Open, at St. Andrews.

World No. 1 McIlroy clinched his first Open Championship and third major title a year ago with a two-shot victory over Sergio Garcia and Rickie Fowler. But I don’t think you can stop living your life. But that day-by-day assessment only confirmed that the injury was not of a minor nature and would require more time to heal, especially given that an early return to the course could actually lead to further complications with the injury in the future. McIlroy finished one shot out of a playoff when the PGA Championship last was played at Whistling Straits in 2010.

“I snapped my finger before the Masters skiing and I said then, and I feel the same way now, you can’t live your life in fear”.

McIlroy’s Open absence will be a blow to television firms, sponsors and golfing spectators who have been excited by a burgeoning rivalry with Jordan Spieth. I hope to be back on the course as soon as I can. “In ’94, I snapped my femur in half [skiing] before the Masters”.

While McIlroy tried to make light of his injury and missing the Open, there are many in the game who have criticized him for putting his physical well-being in jeopardy by playing soccer in the prime of his career.

“By the time I got to play the sixth hole on the Thursday, that was the first time I’d put the wrist under any pressure – and, when I did, it was fine”. I didn’t feel like anything he was doing was an unnecessary risk.

World number seven Rose was in the Royal Box at Wimbledon last Saturday and admitted he admired Briton Andy Murray’s mental strength and Swiss Roger Federer’s calmness and will look to take those characteristics into this week’s Scottish tournament. After winning the U.S. Open, Spieth passed 11 average points, joining McIlroy and Tiger Woods as the only players under the current OWGR algorithm to accomplish the feat.

Though it wasn’t a big surprise that he withdrew – not after the photo Monday of McIlroy on crutches – it was no less jarring that golf’s best player would not be at the home of golf to defend his title. “It’s just bad luck and those things happen”.

“People get hurt taking a shower”. You can walk down to the coffee shop and twist an ankle on your way.