Rory McIlroy confirms he will miss Open Championship due to injury

The 26-year-old has pulled out of this week’s Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open and although he has refused to rule out defending his Open title at St Andrews next week, the odds appear stacked against the four-time major victor.

It comes as a blow for golf fans, Rory’s sponsors and organisers at St Andrews who will miss out on the main attraction but for the player himself, he will be counting the costs of the unfortunate injury.

McIlroy powers his shots with his downswing, creating force by pushing with his left foot as he rotates on his ankle.

Spieth is wary of injuries, but has no plans to curtail anything he does off the course for fun in the wake of McIlroy’s mishap.

While all this is simply speculation until McIlroy is back in the field – and I certainly hope to see him back in time to defend his Bridgestone Invitational and PGA Championship titles in early August – I am saddened by even the possibility of a diminished Rory McIlroy.

St. Andrew’s will be without the world’s top golfer next weekend.

The Open released a statement regarding the news of McIlroy’s withdrawal, via Twitter. The decision, though, will prompt huge disappointment for the world number one.

After enjoying such a wonderful summer in 2014, this year’s is going to be horrid for this unashamed Old Course fanatic. In his effort to win the Grand Slam in 2015, he will not face the competition of last year’s British Open victor. With countless storylines and recent trends waiting to be either continued or broken, the Open Championship will surely be the most eventful major of the year.

Jordan Spieth won the Masters and U.S. Open, and hopes to win his third Major in a row.

After matching Greg Norman’s major tally of two, Jordan Spieth found himself eyeballing a shark of a different variety. You want the defending champion, much less the best player in the world at the event.

McIlroy’s Ryder Cup teammate Graeme McDowell said the Holywood man will be “gutted” to be missing out on the title defence.

“Of all the Championship venues we play at, that’s the one where you can nearly just turn up and play”.

“You can play golf with a bad right ankle without much trouble but it’s difficult putting weight on your left side”.

Former USA Open champion Justin Rose: “I would have been surprised if he was there given the initial diagnosis but it’s a big shame for him and the tournament”.

Florida-based Scot Russell Knox, who was first reserve, replaces McIlroy in the field at St Andrews. I didn’t feel like anything [McIlroy] was doing was unnecessary risk.