Rory McIlroy shortens his practice round at Aronimink ahead of the PGA Championship due to a persistent blister on his toe, yet the golfer insists he remains ready to compete for a third title.
Persistent Blister Causes Concern
The 37-year-old Northern Irish star, a fixture in major tournaments since his 2007 Open debut, cuts short Tuesday’s session at Aronimink amid blister worries. McIlroy, who has missed just one major in nearly two decades, downplays the issue and confirms his participation this week.
Flashback to 2015 Ankle Injury
In 2015, McIlroy nearly breaks his ankle during a casual football game with friends in Northern Ireland, forcing him to withdraw from The Open at St. Andrews. His left boot catches in the turf, rolling the ankle and tearing a ligament while spraining another.
“I’m not going to stop doing what I do,” McIlroy declares. “I enjoy that part of my life. I enjoy having that normality in my life, something that I’ve done since I was a kid, and I won’t stop doing that.”
He describes the incident as a freak accident after multiple recent games. “Anytime I go back home, one of the things that I regularly do with my friends is to play football. That was like the fourth or fifth time in a 10-day period where I had played football. I enjoy it. We all enjoy it. And it’s unfortunate that it happened. It can happen walking off a tee box. It can happen falling off a curb on the side of the street. It can happen doing anything.”
“It could have been much worse,” he adds. “It could have required surgery. Luckily, that wasn’t the case.”
Reflecting on the setback, McIlroy notes the perspective gained from missing majors. “I thought I was going to miss it more than I did. If anything, having to sit those tournaments out, especially the Open Championship going back to St. Andrews, which is probably my favourite venue in the world, it gave me a huge sense of perspective. When you’re playing week in, week out and you’re thinking about winning these tournaments, you get so wrapped up in what you’re doing and your own little life and your own little bubble, sometimes you forget there’s a bigger, wider world out there.”
Recent Truist Championship Limping
McIlroy first notices the blister during the Truist Championship earlier this month, limping on the course after it develops under his pinky toe nail. “Yeah, I’ve got a blister on my pinky toe,” he explains. “But it’s underneath my nail. So I can’t really get to it or so it’s a little sore, but I’ll be all right. Started to feel it like Friday afternoon.”
Despite a five-under performance, he rejects the injury as an excuse. “No, not at all. No, that was – I wish that was an excuse, but absolutely not (laughing). No, it’s fine. I’ll be okay.”
