Rory McIlroy still hampered by back problem ahead of Players Championship

By Jim van Wijk, Press Association

Rory McIlroy is continuing to be troubled by a “stubborn” back problem as he tries to be fit to defend his Players Championship title at Sawgrass next week.

The Northern Irishman pulled out of the Arnold Palmer Invitational after experiencing back spasms ahead of his third round at Bay Hill on Saturday.

McIlroy is set to take a few more days recovery before making a decision on whether he will be able to head to Sawgrass.

An update on Rory McIlroy's back ahead of @THEPLAYERS:

“The back is being a bit more stubborn than we thought, so I’m staying at home today and tomorrow to continue treatment in South Florida with the hope to travel to Ponte Vedra on Wednesday at some point.” pic.twitter.com/zfEOx8999F

— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) March 9, 2026

Golf Channel presenter Todd Lewis said he received a text from McIlroy, which read: “The back is being a bit more stubborn than we thought, so I’m staying at home today and tomorrow to continue treatment in South Florida with the hope to travel to Ponte Vedra on Wednesday at some point.”

Masters champion McIlroy last dealt with significant back issues in 2023, when he recovered sufficiently to score four points for Europe in their Ryder Cup victory in Rome.

The 36-year-old, who made rounds of 72 and 68 at Bay Hill before the back issue flared up, had only withdrawn mid-competition once before in his PGA career, back in 2013 at the Cognizant Classic at the Palm Beaches.