Rory McIlroy Gives Back Injury Update After Day 1 Struggles at The Players Championship

Rory McIlroy said he played through some "discomfort" from his recent back injury while hitting a 2-over 74 in Thursday's opening round of The Players Championship.

"I'd say the most discomfort was when the ball was below my feet or with chipping, just getting down a little bit to it," McIlroy told reporters Thursday at TPC Sawgrass. "But, honestly, overall it was fine. Got a little bit tired at the end of the day, but it was actually all pretty good."

McIlroy withdrew from the Arnold Palmer Invitational last weekend due to his injury, which he said in a statement to the PGA Tour started when he "felt a small twinge" in his back while warming up in the gym Saturday morning.

"As I started hitting balls on the range before the round, it worsened and developed into muscle spasms in my lower back," McIlroy said in his Saturday statement.

McIlroy delayed his arrival at TPC Sawgrass to receive treatment for his back spasms. He told reporters waiting until Wednesday to get to the tournament meant he went into the opening round with almost "zero prep."

"I obviously played on Friday, it's not as if I've taken a lot of time off, but just felt unbelievably rusty out there," McIlroy said Thursday.

McIlroy added that his plan for Friday would be to take advantage of early birdie opportunities tomorrow after teeing off at No. 10.

"Try to get it back to even par, and honestly, don't feel like I'm that far away," McIlroy said. "No one went really low this afternoon... if I can go out and shoot a good one tomorrow, I feel like I'll be right in it for the weekend."

McIlroy, who won The Players Championship in 2019 and 2025, is seeking to become the first player since Phil Mickelson in 2007 to record 30 career PGA Tour wins.

He is set to start Round 2 in a group with Xander Schauffele and Hideki Matsuyama at 8:52 a.m. ET on Friday in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.