Rory McIlroy was limping during the final round of the Truist Championship on Sunday in a worry for the Masters champion with the US PGA Championship coming up next week.
McIlroy told reporters he has a blister on his pinky toe on his right foot but refused to use it as an excuse for shooting a four over-par 75 on Saturday that ultimately derailed his tournament this week in North Carolina.
Asked about his Sunday limp, McIlroy said: ‘Yeah, I’ve got a blister on my pinky toe on my right foot. 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. I started to feel it Friday afternoon.’
But asked about it impacting his poor third round, McIlroy said firmly: ‘No, not at all. I wish that was an excuse but absolutely not.’
The second major of the year, the PGA, starts on Thursday at Aronimink Golf Club near Philadelphia.
Rory McIlroy was struggling with a blister at the Truist Championship with a Major next week
McIlroy told reporters he visited the course last week in order to step up his preparations ahead of the tournament.
‘It was nice to get an early look at it,’ he said. ‘It just means that the week of the tournament you’re not under pressure to play a lot of holes.
‘Historically the practice rounds at the PGA can be excruciatingly long, so it’s probably going to just be nine holes Tuesday, nine holes Wednesday.’
But for now, McIlroy is going to rest.
‘I’m going to go home tonight, which will be nice to spend a night in my own bed and practice at home tomorrow to try to just sort of continue that feel and bring that up to Philadelphia for the rest of the week,’ he said.
McIlroy ended his week in Charlotte with a four-under 67, undoing his 75 on Saturday after some hard work on the range Saturday night.
‘I started to hit it left yesterday with everything,’ McIlroy added. ‘I was much more aware of it and did a better job of managing it today. I spent a good bit of time on the range last night just trying to straighten it out.
‘I think the range session last night was good. I figured out a couple of things.’
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