PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — Rory McIlroy wasn’t completely positive he would have the ability to play in The Gamers Championship due to muscle spasms in his decrease again that compelled him to withdraw final Saturday at Bay Hill. Now he is grateful to be enjoying two extra days on the TPC Sawgrass.
But it surely took much more work than he wished Friday. McIlroy, the defending champion and two-time winner of The Gamers, was over the projected reduce line approaching his closing gap on the par-5 ninth. He blistered a 310-yard drive, reached the inexperienced in two and had a two-putt birdie for a 71.
Satisfaction got here solely from making the reduce.
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“I am completely satisfied to be right here for the weekend. I am completely satisfied to get two extra runs at it,” McIlroy mentioned. “It might have sucked to be going residence this afternoon. So to hold round and hopefully play two extra days, that is a win.”
But it surely was solely his third birdie of the spherical in scorable situations — and solely fourth birdie of the event — so this wasn’t merely about making the reduce. McIlroy wakened feeling good about his again. He simply could not get his putter to get up.
Nonetheless, it was a clutch end to sit down at 1-over 145.
“I want I used to be additional up the leaderboard. I felt like I performed effectively sufficient right this moment to be up the leaderboard, I simply could not get a putt to drop,” he mentioned.
The again now not seems to be a problem. McIlroy was hopeful it will be like 2023 on the Tour Championship when he had a balky again. It was tremendous by the weekend, and this seems to be an analogous state of affairs.
“It feels just about there,” McIlroy mentioned. “Not all the best way there, however I really feel prefer it’s simply progressively getting higher every day.”
McIlroy was unsure what his schedule could be resulting in the Masters. He contemplated including a event if he solely acquired in two days at The Gamers. He mentioned Jim “Bones” Mackay at NBC requested him taking place the ninth what his plans had been forward of Augusta Nationwide.
“I mentioned, ‘Bones, I will inform you after this gap. There’s loads driving on this golf gap,'” he mentioned with amusing. “If I had have missed the reduce I in all probability would have added an occasion going into the Masters, so hopefully I am right here for the weekend and I haven’t got to do this.”
