Rory McIlroy might have kicked himself out of next week’s British Open Championship at St. Andrews.
McIlroy, the No. 1 ranked player in the world, posted a message on Instagram early Monday morning stating he ruptured a ligament in his left ankle playing soccer on Saturday in Northern Ireland.
The accompanying photo shows McIlroy on crutches with his left foot in a stabilizing boot. Though he said he has not ruled out playing in the British Open, which begins on July 16, the photo makes that seem unlikely.
McIlroy, who said he suffered a total rupture of his ATFL (the anterior talofibular ligament), withdrew from the Scottish Open, which begins Thursday at Gullane.
His spokesperson, Sean O’Flaherty, said it would not be known until the end of the week whether McIlroy will be able to defend his British Open title. O’Flaherty said McIlroy will undergo scans in the next few days to further determine the severity of the damage in the ankle.
McIlroy is under the supervision of his trainer, Dr. Steven McGregor, who specializes in sports injuries.
This was McIlroy’s Instagram post, which appeared shortly after 6 a.m. Monday: “Total rupture of left ATFL (ankle ligament) and associated joint capsule damage in a soccer kickabout with friends on Saturday. Continuing to assess extent of injury and treatment plan day by day. Rehab already started….. Working hard to get back as soon as I can.’’
The prospect of the 26-year-old McIlroy not being able to play the Open at St. Andrews is devastating for several reasons. St. Andrews, considered “the home of golf,’’ is the most venerable venue in the world. It is also a course McIlroy has called his “favorite in the world.’’
McIlroy finished tied for third the last time the Open was played at St. Andrews, in 2010, when he posted three rounds in the 60s. He opened with a 63, which was followed by a wind-blown 80 the next day and then 69-68 in the final two rounds.
Seven of McIlroy’s past 10 rounds at St. Andrews have been sub-70, with four of them sub-67. That’s why bookmakers placed him as the 4-1 favorite win this year. The odds were altered to 8-1 on Monday following the news of his injury.
Jordan Spieth, winner of the Masters and US Open this year and ranked No. 2 in the world, is now the outright favorite.
McIlroy won the British Open last year at Royal Liverpool by going wire to wire and taking a six-shot lead into the final round. He also won the 2015 PGA Championship and joined Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Bobby Jones as the only players in the past century with four major titles before the age of 26.
There has been much anticipation for this British Open with hopes of a showdown between McIlroy and Spieth. Now that might have to wait until the PGA Championship in August at Whistling Straits.
The injury came during a casual game with friends on an artificial-turf field in Bangor, near McIlroy’s hometown of Holywood in Northern Ireland, when he suddenly fell on the ankle while running unchallenged.
The consensus among orthopedic specialists is somewhat consistent in that a minimum of 10 days of rest is recommended — depending on the severity of the injury.
This is not the first time McIlroy has hurt himself playing soccer. McIlroy had a small soccer field built in the yard of his former home in Northern Ireland. In December 2013, he sprained his ankle playing soccer, but was sidelined for only a week.
Asked after that injury whether he would stop playing soccer, McIlroy said: “Yeah, sort of … probably not a good idea to play anymore.”
McIlroy, though, has remained insistent that, despite his superstar status in golf, he wants to
“to live as normal a life as possible.”
McIlroy, who’s won four majors in his career, has had mixed results in 2015, finishing fourth at the Masters and tied for ninth at the US Open. He missed the cut at the Honda Classic in March, but won the World Golf Championships Match Play and the Wells Fargo Championship in May.
