TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP

August 24, 2023

Rory McIlroy

East Lake Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. How did it happen with the back and what triggered it?

RORY McILROY: So I think when I play a lot of golf, especially the end of the season, I always have to manage my right side. My right side always gets pretty tight, my rib cage, intercostals, lats, like, all the way down, right hip.

On Tuesday morning I felt a little tight, and I went into my gym at home, and I just sort of foam-rolled and stretched. I went to grab something and my whole right side just completely seized up, spasm. So I spent two hours with the physio at home, flew up here, felt a little better, some treatment, then Wednesday morning still my right side was feeling better, and then went into the gym just to do some movements and stuff.

I was at the bottom of a squat, a body-weight squat, and my whole lower back spasmed, seized up. I couldn't move. I honestly couldn't address the ball this time yesterday. So to get to where I am today is good.

So, yeah, I mean, I hung in there and I just felt like if I could get through today, it's better than it was yesterday, hopefully tomorrow's better than it was today, and just sort of try to keep progressing.

So the fact that I'm only going to be -- whatever it's going to be, like, three or four off the lead, I'm over the moon about.

Q. How close were you to potentially withdrawing? Was there a point in the warmup?

RORY McILROY: So I got here really early this morning, like 7:45, so like six hours before my tee time, did cold tub, did everything. I hit 20 wedges by 10 a.m. which is the first balls I've hit since Chicago. I felt okay, so then just thought I would give it a go.

So I was always going to tee off. It was just a matter of how I felt on the course. And it got progressively a little tighter as I went, but it will hopefully get loosened up here and just another 20 -- or 18 hours of recovery and go again tomorrow.

Q. I didn't know if there was a point in the round where you felt like maybe it got better. But you said it started maybe tightening up? With the heat you figured it might loosen up some?

RORY McILROY: Yeah, it kept it loose, but I just felt it starting to just grab up.

Q. And it's just a muscle spasm?

RORY McILROY: Yeah, a muscle spasm that's being protective of, you know, like my ribs, joints, everything. So, but it's, look, the muscle spasm is what's giving me the discomfort.