Rory McIlroy reports significant improvement in back condition, expresses satisfaction with making the Players cut.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — Rory McIlroy was uncertain about his ability to compete in The Players Championship due to muscle spasms in his lower back, which led to his withdrawal last Saturday at Bay Hill. Now, he is grateful to be participating for two additional days at TPC Sawgrass.

However, Friday required more effort than he had anticipated. McIlroy, the defending champion and a two-time victor of The Players, was just above the projected cut line as he approached his final hole at the par-5 ninth. He launched a 310-yard drive, reached the green in two strokes, and secured a two-putt birdie for a score of 71.

His only sense of achievement came from making the cut.

“I’m pleased to be here for the weekend. I’m glad to have two more chances at it,” McIlroy stated. “It would have been disappointing to head home this afternoon. So, to stick around and hopefully play for two more days, that’s a success.”

Nonetheless, this was only his third birdie of the round in favorable conditions and just the fourth birdie of the tournament, indicating that the focus was not solely on making the cut. McIlroy awoke feeling optimistic about his back but struggled to find his putting touch.

Nevertheless, it was a crucial finish that left him at 1-over 145.

“I wish I was higher on the leaderboard. I felt like I played well enough today to be positioned better, but I just couldn’t get a putt to fall,” he remarked.

The back issue no longer seems to be a concern. McIlroy was hopeful that it would mirror his experience in 2023 at the Tour Championship when he faced back problems. It improved by the weekend, and this situation appears to be similar.

“It feels pretty much there,” McIlroy noted. “Not completely there, but I feel like it’s getting progressively better each day.”

McIlroy was uncertain about his plans leading up to the Masters. He considered adding a tournament if he only managed two days at The Players. He mentioned that Jim “Bones” Mackay at NBC inquired about his plans for Augusta National as he was heading down the ninth.

“I told Bones, ‘I’ll let you know after this hole. There’s a lot at stake on this golf hole,'” he said with a chuckle. “Had I missed the cut, I likely would have added an event before the Masters, so hopefully, I’m here for the weekend and won’t need to do that.”