Rory McIlroy Discusses Lower Back Injury: ‘I Couldn’t Move’

When Rory McIlroy appeared to be in pain at East Lake on Thursday, reports began to circulate that the Northern Irishman had injured his back ahead of this week’s Tour Championship. 

After the conclusion of the tournament’s opening round, McIlroy confirmed those reports, and elaborated on the muscle spasm that shocked his system while at home in Jupiter, Fla. 

"It’s a muscle spasm that’s being protective of, you know, like my ribs, joints, everything,” McIlroy said. 

The three-time Tour Championship winner then explained how he first developed the injury. 

“I think when I play a lot of golf, especially the end of the season, I always have to manage my right side," he said. "My right side always gets pretty tight, my rib cage, intercostals, lats, like, all the way down, right hip.

“On Tuesday morning I felt a little tight, and I went into my gym at home, and I just sort of foam-rolled and stretched. I went to grab something and my whole right side just completely seized up, spasm. So I spent two hours with the physio at home, flew up here, felt a little better, some treatment, then Wednesday morning still my right side was feeling better, and then went into the gym just to do some movements and stuff."

Throughout his round on Thursday, McIlroy could be seen intermittently stretching and adjusting his back muscles, even laying down on a tee box at one point. 

McIlroy ultimately carded an even-par 70 on Thursday, even though he did not practice ahead of his tee time to avoid aggravating the injury. 

On Wednesday afternoon, the spasm apparently worsened while he was exercising. The four-time major champion explained that at one point the spasm was so severe that he “couldn’t move.”

“I was at the bottom of a squat, a body-weight squat, and my whole lower back spasmed, seized up. I couldn't move. I honestly couldn't address the ball this time yesterday. So to get to where I am today is good,” McIlroy said. 

Considering the rocky start to the week, McIlroy is pleased with his position—he sits three shots back from the lead, which is currently shared by Collin Morikawa, Keegan Bradley and Viktor Hovland. 

But it took significant effort for McIlroy to get his body ready to tee it up. 

“I got here really early this morning, like 7:45, so like six hours before my tee time, did cold tub, did everything. I hit 20 wedges by 10 a.m. which is the first balls I've hit since Chicago. I felt O.K., so then just thought I would give it a go,” he said. “I was always going to tee off. It was just a matter of how I felt on the course. It got progressively a little tighter as I went, but it will hopefully get loosened up here and just another 20—or 18 hours of recovery and go again tomorrow.” 

Despite not having the injury fully under control, McIlroy confirmed that he will tee it up in Atlanta again on Friday for Round 2.